Archaeological Artifacts: Types, Formation, and Cultural Significance

Bioturbation

activities of plants and animals on the earth, causing disturbance of archaeological materials

Artifact Classifications

Lithics and Ceramics

Temper

non-clay items within ceramics for binding

Ceramics

Made from clay, second most commonly studied artifact class

Green Pottery

Formed but unfired pot

Venus Figurines

Upper Paleolithic statues of women with exaggerated sexual features. Fertility Cult?

Cut Stone

Building Stone cut, mostly pecked/chiseled, then dressed

Pecking

using a hammerstone to strike a softer stone

Millingstones

Grinding Stones for seeds, nuts, etc.

Stone Pulverization

Used worldwide, most common example: Millingstones

Life-History of an Artifact

procurement, manufacture, use, recycle, loss/discard

Preservation

Material, Climate, Deposition, Sediments, Time

Functional Types

Based on attributes thought to reflect use/function

Morphological Types

reflects the overall appearance of the artifact

Temporal Types

By time, context

Geochemical Types

Based on chemical composition

Traditions

persistence of types over a long time

Horizons

Wide geographic spread in a short time: migrations, diffusion, cults

Blade (lithic)

Special kind of flake, with parallel edges: Length = 2 * Width

Osteological Paradox

Skeletal populations with high incidences of lesions do not necessarily mean the population was unhealthy, but that they were healthy enough to survive

Human Behavioral Ecology

Makes a prediction on human behavior

Optimal Foraging Theory

Maximize calories earned versus expended

Patch Choice

Evaluates how productive a given environment would have been and predicts how long a group would have stayed in one area before moving on.

Niche Construction

human impacts on the environment, trade-off between management and overexploitation

Subsistence/Settlement

Hunting & Gathering / Urbanizing

Systems

Hunting & Gathering: Foragers, Collectors, Pastoralists

Agriculturalists

Pottery Forming Methods

Handforming (pinching, addle and anvil, coiling, around a mold)

Wheel-thrown pots

Cook Pots

Must withstand heating and cooling

Open Rim

Fairly Large

Thin + Non-organic temper

Storage Pots

Thicker, large, stronger

Constricted opening

Light and Strong

Serving Pots

Smaller, Decorated, Easy to access contents

Transportation Pots

Larger, Constricted Opening, Light and Strong

Domestication

genotypic & phenotypic modification from human behavior

plants dependent on humans ie maize

Over-exploitation

excessive use that led to extinction

Bioarchaeology

Study of human skeletal remains from sites to understand lives, health diet and behaviors

Paleogenomics

Study of ancient DNA, genetic material of infectious agents

Humor Theory of Disease

Incorrect balancing of humors led to disease

Environmental Arch.

reconstruction of how ancient socities adapted to altered and interacted with their environments

Zooarchaeology

study of animal remains

Bipedalism

walking on two feet

States

1. Cities (40k+)

2. Food Surplus

3. Full time specialists

4. Stratification

5. Decline of kin based authority

6. Standing Armies

7. Long Distance trade

8. Achievements

9. Monumental Architecture

10. Distinctive Art Style

Quipus

Knotted strings to record info by Mayans

Pictographic Writing

Symbols represents word/idea, elements portray meaning

Syllabic Writing

Syllables represent signs, used to phonetically spell words

Alphabetic Writing

each sign represents distinctive sounds

Cuneiform

Used by Sumerican States (5100 BP - 2000 BP)

Deciphered by Henry Warlinson

Pseudo-archaeology

the use of selective archaeological evidence to nonscientific, fictional accounts of the past

Model of Technological Investment

Optimal tech for XYZ purpose and scale

Hunter and Gatherers (Foragers)

Travelers, seasonal rounds, mobile, time minimizers

Hunter and Gatherers (Collectors)

Sedentary, space/land minimizers

Pastoralists

Mobile, stock in animals ie Shepherds

Agriculturalists

Values land & Space

discount time & labor

Specialized Tools

Large family sizes

Waterlogged Environment

Acidic & Anaerobic water

naturallity mummifies bodies

but bones not well preseved

NW Europe Bog People

Dry Caves

no water, stable climates

Dead Sea Scrolls - Isreal

Silk Textile w/ Chinese Writings

Arid Environment

Dry region, leads to natural mummifcation ie Peru

Frozen Environment

Frozen region, leads to mummification

1845 Franklin Expedition

Rapid Burial

"Pompeii" Conditions