ANTH lab Flashcards
What is garbology?
- study of garbage, items that have been discarded
-coined by Bill Rathje in the 1970’s
-focuses on consumption patterns
what is an assemblage?
items from the same context
what can garbology tell us about people?
-age, gender, number of residents, interests, health, socioeconomic status
What is a site datum?
-control point in a site.
-the point where all measurements at the site are linked!
-normally site datum is given coordinates North 0, East 0.
when identifying a unit datum, where do you measure/label the unit to? (which corner)
the south west corner
Who is William Rathje?
Archaeologist who coined “garbology” in the 1970’s
How do archaeologists classify material culture?
thru sorting items into known categories, and recording information on context
What is classification?
the general process of sorting items into know categories
What is an excavation unit?
Grid square chosen as an excavation unit
What is a unit datum?
control point from which all measurements in a specific excavation unit are made
site map vs. unit plan view
Site map: map at the scale of the entire site/
unit plan view: map at the scale of the excavation unit
What can archaeologists interpret from provenience data/maps?
- important context in terms of the site.
- what the site was used for
- who cohabited at the site
Analysis of lithic artifacts determines the following three things:
- methods of manufacture
- form and style
- function
what is manufacture/production? (in terms of stone tools?)
- stone tools made by removing pieces of stone, such as through flaking, chipping, or grinding.
What are ground stone tools? what are they used for and What tools are they commonly?
- stone tools made by grinding the stone to remove bits.
- typically used for milling, grinding, hammering, digging.
- typically knives, hammers, net weights, axes, ect.
What are flaked stone artifacts? what are they used for and what kinds of tools are they commonly?
- stone artifacts made by removing sharp flakes from a fine grained stone by percussion.
- produce very sharp tools used for cutting, carving ect.
- typically knives, scrapers, projectile points, ect.
what is unifacial? Bifacial?
with flaked stone artifacts, if flaked scars occur on only one side of the faces, it is unifacial. if the flake scars are visible on both faces, it is bifacial.
what is a sherd?
broken fragments of ceramic vessels
What is an open vessel? Closed?
open = orifice is wide relative to the body, like a dish. typically has a smoother interior surface
closed = the orifice or neck is narrowing or constricting like a jar. typically has a rougher internal surface
What is slip?
a fluid suspension in water, applied to before firing to form a coating on top of the vessel surface
What is paint?
applied by hand to add additional colours and patterns to ceramics
what can sex be assigned on in zooarchaeology?
- size differences/ sexual dimorphisms
- pelvis shape
- antlers
- baculum
- spurs
- size of canines
how can age be determined in zooarchaeology?
- degree of suture closure on bones
- fusion of epiphyses
- tooth eruption or wear
- growth rings
- size
What is NISP? How do you determine it?
NISP = number of identified specimens
- identify and count number of bones per species.
- total number of specimens attributed to a single species
What is MNI? How do you determine it?
MNI = minimum number of identified individuals
- the minimum number of animals represented in an assemblage.
- take the number of each identified elements attributed to the species, and divide it by the frequency of each element in an individual.
- MNI is always the highest number.
ex. MNI = 3 right tibias in an assemblage/1 right tibias per bison = 3
what is taphonomy?
- all the processes (cultural and natural) that can alter the appearances of animal bone.
- cultural includes killing, skinning, cooking, preserving ect.
- natural includes gnawing, digesting, climates, root etching, ect.
Subadult age estimation of humans are based on
- fusion of cranial elements
- fusion of long bones
- dental development and eruption
Adult age estimation of humans are based on
- degenerative changes
- degree of fusion in epiphyseal union
- tooth decay and ware
Key traits of individuals aged 0-12 (infant - child)
- dental eruption and loss, no third molars/wisdom teeth
- lack of fused epiphyses
Key traits of individuals ages 12-21 (adolescent subadult)
- eruption to full presence of third molars/wisdom teeth
- some fused epiphyses
Key traits of individuals aged 21-40 (young adult)
- all adult teeth present
- fused epiphyses
Key traits of individuals aged 40+ (old adult)
- all adult teeth, plus signs of wear and loss
- fused epiphyses with contact surfaces between bones starting to show signs of osteoarthritis (spurs)
