ANT 206 Exam 1

archeology definition

using material remains to stay culture & humans

artifacts definition

human made objects

eco fact definition

natural remains left by humans (bones, shells)

features definition

immovable evidence

survey definition

mapping landscape by recording to get context & settlement history

first archeologist

Egyptian khaemwaset, restored and excavated without destruction

chronology definition

ordering & dating historical events

Antiquarianism definition

studying archeology though only physical aspects

elightment definition

era of introduction to scientific approach to history in Europe

significance of Pompeii & herculaneum

first full city found preserved, showed roman daily life clearly

what is the 3 age system

classifying artifacts into stone, bronze & Iron Age, the first relative dating system

what is the law of superposition

deeper layers are older than upper layers in stratigraphy

who is Heinrich schliemann

famous tnt user to find troy

deep time definition

the first belief that the earth is billions of years old, and prehistory before humans

culture historical archaeology definition

splitting artifacts into different cultures based on style & differences

landscape definition

modified natural spaces

what conditions preserve bodies well

waterlogged anaerobic like bogs

what conditions preserve fabric & paper well

dry deserts

what is taphonomy

studying how remains are preserved until discovery

primary vs secondary context

remains found where deposited vs remains the were disturbed / moved

direct vs indirect evidence

clearly shown fact vs assumptions & conclusions

what method of fieldwork gives regional (big picture) breadth

survey

what method of fieldwork gives local (detailed/cultural) breadth

excavation

what is the Wheeler–Kenyon box-grid method

a way of excavating in squares showing vertical profiles for stratigraphy

tell definition

an artificial mound/hill from rebuilding in the same spot

what does BP mean in carbon dating

before present (1950) when carbon dating was invented

what is stratigraphic correlation

using a common layer to compare between sites relatively date them

typology vs seriation

grouping based on features vs arranging into order based on frequency & style

cross dating definition

using a diagnostic artifact with a known date to date other things

dendrochronology definition

using tree rings to date wooden structures

which carbon isotope has a useful half life for dating

carbon-14 5730 years

how does radio carbon dating work

all living things absorb carbon 14 until they die, we can use the percentage of carbon 14 remaining & the half life to calculate how long they’ve been dead

2 types of radiocarbon calibration

Before present & common era/before common era

what is the reservoir effect

Marine life will incorporate older carbon, making them seem older than reality

what is the old wood problem

can’t based wood age based on when it was burned, since wood of any age can be used for a fire

when is k & Ar dating used

for volcanic material over 100 kya since k becomes Ar every 1.3 billion years

thermoluminescence definition

estimating time since last heating through trapped electrons

OSL - optically stimulated luminescence dating

estimating time since last exposure to sun in sediments

obsidian hydration definition

obsidian absorbs water over time, thickness of water rim will show age of flaking

magnetic dating

comparing magnetic signature in fired features to current world magnetic signature

what can food remains suggest (4)

wealth

culture

religion

environment

4 types of diet evidence

macroscopic

microscopic

chemical

contextual

coprolites definition

preserved fecal matter

phytoliths definition

silica in plants

where & when was ohalo 2

palestine 23000 BP

ohalo 2 macro evidence

plant remains like fruits and nuts

ohalo 2 micro remains

cereal starch residue on grinding stones

ohalo 2 interpertation

the mix of fruits, cereals and fishbones mean they had a complex and multistep diverse diet before traditional farming

jomon japan interpretation

sedentary to exploit seafood and nut based diet, not to start farming

what can 13C tell us about diet (2)

terrestrial vs marine animals

c3 vs c4 plants

what can 15N tell us about diet (2)

trophic level higher means meat/fish

affected by external factors

what can 34S tell us about diet (1)

can track difference in marine, freshwater & terrestrial where 15N & 13C overlap

what can 18O tell us about diet (3)

water intake

climate

water tempreture

collagen part of diet

dietary protein

carbonates part of diet

whole diet

what external factors to consider with diet (3)

manuring

salinity

resevior effect

what can abu hureyra tell us about diet

the levels of 15N were due to advanced agriculture not meat based diet

what can the andean highlands tell us about diet

the difference in collagen was due to social AND environment

what can the pacific northwest tell us about diet

correct 14C to local samples before analysing

what is lipid residue analysis

fats from animals & plants get preserved in clay air pockets which can be analysed

what did indus civilisation tell us about diet

dairy fat residue in clay showed repeated heating, direct evidence of dairying and probable fermentation

what did southern scandanavia tell us about diet

pottery was not directly linked to grain farming, since they used it for fish

elmans servide evolutionary model

classify societies as

bands

tribes

chiefdoms

states