Archeology and Paleoanthropology

Question 1

Lucy:
Discovered in?
Almost complete what?
Date to?
Child or adult?
Gender?

Answer 1

1974
skeleton
3.2 million years ago
Adult female

Question 2

LOWER PALEOLITHIC A: When?
Hominid species?
1. name + type of tool tradition
2. name + type of tool tradition

Answer 2

2. 5 million years to 10 000 BCE (Before Common Era)
3. Homo Habilis + Oldowan tool tradition
4. Homo Erectus + Acheulean tool tradition

Question 3

MIDDLE PALEOLITHIC: When?
Hominid species? 
1. name + types (2) of tool tradition
Tool 1: description + details
Tool 2: description + details

Answer 3

300 000 to 40 000 BC
Neanderthal: other aspects of culture
Levallois and Mousterian tool tradition 
Mousterian – characterized by flakes struck off from core and used as is
•	Often flakes were ‘retouched’
•	Purpose? Resharpen tool
Levallois Technique – ‘the stone knapping technique used to create tools. A method of creating stone tools by first striking flakes off the stone, or core, along the edges to create the prepared core and then striking the prepared core in such a way that the intended tool is flaked off with all of its edges pre-sharpened
•	Part of the Mousterian tool kit

Question 4

UPPER PALEOLITHIC: When?
Hominid species? 
1. name 
- Info 1
- Info 2

Answer 4

50 000 to 12 000 BCE
Homo sapiens sapiens: other aspects of culture and tools Upper Paleolithic
- Migrations of Homo Sapiens Sapiens from Africa to Asia and Europe. They reached the Australian continent about 60 000 years ago.
- Cave art: carved or painted facades that showed proof of culture of afterlife and records of origins

Question 5

Major biological differences: Australopithecus afarensis (ape (4) and human-like(3))

Answer 5

Ape Key Characteristics:
•	Ape-like long snout and small brain
•	Long curved toes and fingers
•	Long arms and ankles rotated more freely
•	Short 3.5 to 5 feet

Human-like characteristics:
• Curved spines so that upper body sat on hips
• Knees located on mid-line of body
• Stout heel and beginning of arch on sole

Question 6

Major biological differences (3): Homo Erectus

Answer 6

Key Characteristics:
• Long legs to chase prey
• First to spread out of Africa
• Uses stone tools

Question 7

Major biological differences (3): Homo Sapiens Sapiens and when?
Tool tradition?

Answer 7

When? 200 000 years ago to today
- Similar to Levallois technique but extra step to add pressure using tool (antler bone, wood) to chip edge off which gave more control on the final product.
Key Characteristics:
•	Largest brain compared to ancestors
•	Lighter anatomical build
•	Smarter

Question 8

Major biological differences (3): Homo Habilis

Why are they considered the first member of the genus homo?

Answer 8

• Oldowan tool tradition
• They are the first hominid toolmaker
  Traits: flatter face & high skull

Question 9

Why do paleoanthropologists study fossils? What do they learn about them?

Answer 9

To study biological changes through time by studying the origins and predecessors by comparing fossilized remains and comparing them to living species.

Question 10

Why did bipedalism evolve? Explain the multiple advantages of bipedalism for the human species

Answer 10

Theories of the development of bipedalism:

1) Need to adapt to see above tall grasses for predator/prey
2) Need to free hands to transport food to females for energy saving
3) Need to free hands for tool crafting
4) Energetic efficiency (MOST ACCEPTED THEORY EXPLAINING BIPEDALISM TODAY)

Question 11

Describe the differences between relative and absolute dating methods. Give an example of each method

Answer 11

Relative:
you don’t get date and year, can just say if something is older or younger compared to something else, for example how old are you? I’m older than. Main relative dating technique is stratigraphy, which is when you dig in the ground, the soil is made of different layers which represent different geological events, like a tropical forest leaves a soil, and then transform into an ocean which leaves a different layer. Law of superposition is that the deepest layers was the one deposited first, so they are older, and the top ones are younger.

Absolute:
you get time and years, like 5000 +/- 200 years, so for sure the finding is between 4800 and 5200 years. Example: carbon dating; will alive organism absorb C14, when die, start to lose C14, at death 100% C14, then constant loss of it, so if we determine for example, it lost 5% it gives you a date.

Question 12

What’s a fossil?

Answer 12

a fossil is the evidence paleoanthropologists use. It’s a petrified bone turned into a stone. It’s the hardened remains or impressions of humans and other animals.

Question 13

What is the difference between an artifact and a fossil?

Answer 13

A fossil is evidence paleoanthropologists use. It’s a petrified bone turned into a stone.

Artifacts are evidence used by archeologists. They are inorganic objects made by a human being.

Question 14

Explain the difference between archaeology and paleoanthropology?

Answer 14

Paleoanthropology: The study of human evolution from primates dating back to 65 or so million years ago to the present. The study of human fossils

Archeology is the study of the culture of the past (ruins, historical monuments, tools, artifacts).
Archeologists use artifacts.

Question 15

Explain the major cultural differences among the different hominid species?

Answer 15

tools difference

Question 16

Explain how the use of tools allowed hominid species to adapt to their environment.

Answer 16

Mesolithic (15 000-12 000 years ago)

Major climatic change, becoming more warmer, glacier melting, Bering Sea becomes, new rivers, new lacs, new forest, new resources, coincides with extinction large animals, people have to adapt, diverse their alimentation, so they start to hunt smaller and solitary animals, exploit more diverse things, increasing fish and shellfish, revolution they start to collect wild plants and consume wild cereals, so new tools like grinding stones, and sickles to cut plants and cereals

Question 17

What does the invention of symbolic objects and art forms tell us about Homo sapiens sapiens?

Answer 17

Great signs of abstract thinking, imagination, storing information outside of our brain, creating worlds that are not material, create sign of creativity, because it’s related to communication, because symbols convey meanings. Sending message to other your identity in a group, that you are part of a community, now it also shows your importance, your prestige, your worth in capitalism, intelligence, creativity

The great strength of homo sapiens sapiens is our great capacity of communication through symbolic messages and our collaboration, made possible by our communicative skills.

Question 18

What is the cultural significance of burials for the human species?

Answer 18

sometimes believed to be a necessary step for an individual to reach the afterlife. they were capable of symbolic thought and of developing rich cultures.

Question 19

Explain why Homo sapiens sapiens is the only hominid species standing today? What advantages did we have over the Neanderthals (biological and cultural)?

Answer 19

We made more effective weapons, like stone points, bow and lance, so hunting is easier and less dangerous.

We had a more varied diet, we could adapt to different environment

We required less calories on daily basis, as we had approximatively 3000 calories, and the Neanderthal, 5000 calories

We had better collaboration/cooperation because we sent ourselves messages constantly through symbols

Question 20

Explain what happened to Neanderthals, the Three school of thoughts:

Answer 20

School of thoughts:
Interbreeding between our Homo Sapiens Sapiens and Neanderthal, before people though we couldn’t reproduce with them because they thought we were different species, but it’s not the case because we can find Neanderthal DNA in some part of the population, but not in Africa, because Neanderthal didn’t go to Africa. In some Europeans populations, we find 4% of DNA of Neanderthals. We entered Europe 40 000 years ago and we coexisted for 5000 years.

Genocide some homo sapiens sapiens would have killed intentionally Neanderthals. One fossil from a neanderthal with an arrow point in it, that doesn’t come from neanderthal. When 2 similar species occupy the same area, one always more successful than the other, so the other will move away to avoid them. Neanderthals would have retrieved to Portugal and towards the rock of Gibraltar, but they couldn’t escape through the Atlantic Ocean

Question 21

Strata?
Stratigraphy?
Law of Superposition?

Answer 21

Stratigraphy: which is when you dig in the ground, the soil is made of different layers which represent different geological events, like a tropical forest leaves a soil, and then transforms into an ocean which leaves a different layer.

Law of superposition: is that the deepest layers was the one deposited first, so they are older, and the top ones are younger.

Question 22

Cranial capacity

Answer 22

the volume of the interior of the cranium of vertebrates that possess a cranium and a brain

Question 23

The evolution of tool making = ?

Answer 23

The beginning of CULTURAL rather than biological adaptation