ANTHR 206 LECTURE 14 (EDIT)

TECHNOLOGY PT 1

• • Outline:

    • Goals

    • Typology

    • Manufacturing Process

    • Classification of Materials

    • Classification of Features

    • Approaches

• Historical Context of Stone Tools and Pottery

  • Stone tools are ancient; evidence of pottery found in the Paleolithic era

  • Pottery was not widely used until later; contexts of good collection needed for widespread use

    • Pottery is more malleable and easier to work with than stone

    • Better preservation qualities compared to stone

• Textile Preservation

  • Metallurgy links to aspects like exchange, trade, and social dynamics

  • Importance of water technology for load carrying and long-distance travel

• Indications of Complexity

  • Manufacturing requires advanced skills, serving as evidence of more complex societies

• Goals

  • Understanding manufacturing/construction processes

  • Use/function of artifacts, features, and ecofacts

  • Impact on groups, communities, and societies

  • Importance of classification in organizing and analyzing data

• Purpose of Classification

  • Organize data into manageable, meaningful units

  • Define "Types" as basic units of archaeological description

  • Identify relationships between different types

  • Study assemblage variation to separate ranges of variability

  • Ideal types dependent on internal variability of assemblages

• Understanding Typology

  • Type: A population of artifacts sharing recurring attributes

  • Attribute: A logically irreducible characteristic of an artifact

    • Formal Attributes: Size, shape

    • Technological Attributes: Material, method of manufacture

    • Stylistic Attributes: Color, texture, decoration

• Kinds of Types in Archaeology

  • Various classifications include:

    • Morphological (descriptive)

    • Functional

    • Temporal ("Time Markers")

    • Stylistic

    • Technological

  • Importance of adjectives when describing types - avoid using "type" alone

• Morphological Types

  • Based on general form/shape

    • Example: Points used as projectiles

    • Further classifications: Lithic, bone, or stone points

  • Provides minimal information for functional analysis

• Functional Types

  • Categorized by their intended function

  • Examples include spearheads and arrows

  • Differences in design may cater to specific uses (e.g., large animals, birds, fish)

• Temporal Types

  • Based on chronological changes in artifacts

    • Categories such as Paleoindian, Protohistoric, Late Prehistoric, and Middle Prehistoric present evolutionary trajectories

• Stylistic Types

  • Defined by color and surface attributes

  • Examples include various notch styles in projectile points

  • Differences in color and texture affect classification

• Typology Debate

  • Question: Do we discover types or impose them?

  • Current consensus suggests types are arbitrary impositions rather than reflective of past categorizations by people

  • Our external view is acknowledged as potentially limiting understanding

• Overview of the Manufacturing Process

  • Steps:

    • Raw material procurement

    • Preparation, shaping (e.g., lithics, ceramics)

  • Detailed cool-down and heating processes essential for different materials

  • Challenges in raw material selection due to environmental exposure

• Material Classification

  • Two main categories:

    • Unaltered Materials: Stone, bone, antler, etc.

    • Synthetic Materials: Clay pottery, metals with variable distribution

  • Growth of trade and complexity in acquiring quality materials

• Classification of Features

  • Constructed Features: Dwellings, roads, forts, graves

  • Accumulated Features: Middens, hearths

  • Combined Features: Refuse pits and some hearths indicative of trash accumulation

• Research Approaches in Archaeology

  • Examination of artifacts, features, and ecofacts through:

    • Archaeological

    • Ethnographic analogy

    • Experimental archaeology

    • Laboratory analyses

• Archaeological Approach

  • Focus on macroscopic examination:

    • Features such as form, style, spatial distribution, and cultural association

  • More effective than mere maps in cultural inference

• Ethnographic Analogy Use

  • Criteria for analogies to be valid:

    • Cultural continuity and environmental similarity

  • Recognition of potential for historical inaccuracies through assumptions

  • Importance for analyzing archaeological materials for continuity

• Experimental Archaeology Techniques

  • Simulations of prehistoric technology and lifestyle

  • Addressing raw material procurement and manufacturing practices

  • Observing usage patterns via marks created on tools

• Laboratory Analysis Techniques

  • Focused on sourcing of materials and condition assessments

  • Require advanced equipment for understanding manufacturing processes

  • Potential insights through residue analysis and geochemical tracing