archaeology test 3

bioarchaeology

the study of human remains from archaeological context

degress of preservation

condition of bones, what taphonomic processes have been at work

burial practices, overall health and nutrition, age, sex, stature, disease, pathologies, and cause of death

diagenesis

decomposition of bone after burial

cist

box-shaped burial structure made of stone slabs on edges

single-internment

only one individual buried

multiple-internment

multiple individuals buried

skull cache

the offering is a decapitated human skull placed inside a ceramic vessel

intentional human sacrifice

skeletal health

dental caries and calculus

alveolar resorption

the wasting away of the bony socket around teeth, caused by inflammatory diseases (like periodontitis)

porotic hyperostosis

symptom of anemia in which the cranial vault takes on a spongy or porous appearance

cribra orbitalia

the other indicator for the presence of anemia are the pores present

harris lines

thin, bony, horizontal lines representing periods of arrested growth seen in radiographs of long bones in individuals that experienced nutritional stress

wilson bands/enamel hypoplasia

very small bands of thin enamel during short-lived nutritional stress

isotopic analysis of bone

determining an individual’s overall diet by look at the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes that have built up in their bones

helps determine which resources are selected for consumption, how much was consumed, etc.

settlement patterns

the manner in which a particular group organized itself and occupied their geographical space

what settlement is based on

subsistence needs, resources, ideology, technology, and environment

wendy ashmore

she made plans of maya settlement units and her research provided info that the maya built their structure in predicted patterns

catchment analysis

where material found at a site were obtained, how much of an effort was necessary to procure those resources, and how much that procurement affected settlement

4 primary settlement patterns

foraging, horticulture, pastoralism, and agriculture

site components

age, site structure, function, and seasonality

activity areas

locations on a site where specific tasks take place, providing info on site structure and site function

seasonality studies

determine the season of collection of plants and/or the capture of animals

3 things to look for when investigating past subsistence

diet, technology, and organization

diet

what people habitually ate

technology

how people obtain, process, cook, store, and distribute their resources

organization

need to gather/harvest/hunt food effectively/efficiently; done through strategy, cooperation, management, planning, scheduling, and controlling

indirect evidence of subsistence

animal, plant, and shell remains

direct evidence of subsistence

bog people, stomach contents, and coprolites

zooarchaeology

the analysis and interpretation of animal remains from archaeological sites in order to understand the past interactions between people and animals

relationships between humans and animals

human subsistence, environmental reconstruction, animal symbolism, ceremonial/ritual use, transportation, entertainment, and companionship

NISP

number of individual specimens

raw number of identified bones per species

MNI

minimum number of bones

meat utility index

how much meat from various animals

paleoethnobotany

the analysis and interpretation of plant remains from archaeological site to understand the past interactions between ppl and plants

macrobotanical remains

plant remains that can be seen with the naked eye

microbotanical remains

plant remains that can only be seen microscopically

pollen

fine powdery substance consisting of microscopic grains coming from the male part of a flower

palynology

analysis of ancient plant pollen

phytoliths

tiny silica particles in plants

flotation devices

used to recover botanical remains

light fraction

carbonized plant remains and other plant remains that float

heavy fraction

heavier material like ceramics, lithics, and shells that sink

assemblage

all of the materials collected from a site and representing all of the evidence of those activites

subassemblage

a group of artifacts representing a single activity/context

classification

the placement of materials into categories that can be used for identification and comparison

attributes

an individual characteristic that distinguishes one artifact from another on the basis of its size, color, shape, decoration, or material; they are time sensitive

type

a class of artifacts defined by a consistent clustering of attributes

variety

variations of the main type

examples of attributes

material, form/morphology, technological, stylistic, and function

use-wear analysis

examining the wear patterns to determine usage

residue analysis

identifies the trace of material left on tools/ceramics

petrographic analysis

identifies the mineral composition of a ceramic pot through microscopic observation of thin sections

geochemical sourcing

determine the chemical component of stone artifacts in order to trace it to a point of origin

x-ray flourescence

a technique for identifying the chemical make-up of raw