Ch. 10 Reconstructing Social and Political Systems of the Past

What is achieved status?

status that comes from achievements

What does androcentric mean?

A view of the world based on men’s perceptions

What is ascribed status?

status parceled at birth

What concepts help archaeologists to reconstruct past social and political organizations?

• residential and nonresidential groups

• Bioarchaeological analyses

• Kinship

• achieved vs ascribed status

• egalitarian vs ranked societies

What is social organization?

rules and structures that govern relationships between individuals w/i a group of interacting ppl

What does a Residential group consist of?

domestic families or households

What is a nonresidential group?

groups in the abstract sense, manifested thru use of symbols, ceremonies, mythologies, or insignias of membership that appear as particular styles of material culture

What is political organization?

formal and informal instructions that regulate a society’s collective acts

What is a chiefdom?

regional polity in which multiple local groups are organized under a single chief

What is kinship?

socially recognized network of relationships thru which individuals are related to one another by ties of descent and marriage

What is status?

rights, duties, and privileges that define the nature of interpersonal relations

What is an egalitarian society?

achieved status is how someone gets a high position

What is a ranked society?

ascribed status places ppl into a ranked order of privilege, unequal

What is Mississippian?

widespread cultural tradition across much of eastern US

What kind of community did Mississippians operate?

village-based

What did Mississippians construct?

constructed mounds that served as substructures for temples, residences, and council buildings

What archaeological remains are important in reconstructing political organization, especially those involving inherited social inequities?

• patterning in mortuary remains

• public and household architecture

What archaeological remains help reconstruct social organization, especially kinship?

House spacing and placement, and genetic distance studies of skeletons

Genetic distance studies of human skeletal remains provide clues to what?

postmarital residence

What techniques help reconstruct ancient trade networks?

• determining whether artifacts were made or obtained locally

• determining the source of raw materials

• Obsidian, clay, and temper sourcing studies

What do ancient trade networks reflect?

the geographic scale of nonresidential groups, economic patterns, and political authority