archaeology of the mind Flashcards
How are humans distinguished from other life forms
by their ability to use symbols
cannot study one mind of the past but
minds
evidence
Stone tools, subsistence strategies, symbolic artefacts, symbolic features
stone tools
- Chaine operatoires
- Stone tool production sequences become more diverse through time -knowledge transfer required not just initiation
- Stone tool assemblages become more diverse
- Reflects part of the way they were thinking
- Prime resource to reconstruct
stone tool assemblages
bifacial and unifacial
become smaller
subsistence strategies
People exploiting seasonal resources
- anticipated and accurately time the change of the season
- long term planning
symbolic artefacts
Astragalus bones
- Artefact or ecofacts
- Amulets or talismans
Symbolic features
Burials - indicate feeling and consideration for the dead
tries to ….
understand what they were thinking of
put different parts of the puzzle together to get the bigger picture but the problem is that it is complete when we try and get as much as we can and many times part of the puzzle arent available