Ch. 2 Flashcards
The Tourist the Collector, and the Archaeologist
Collectors or treasure hunters may say they are actual archaeologists but they are truly the opposite. Museums fight to have better pieces. The metropolitan museum in new york paid a million dollars for one painted greek vase. The vase ended up being returned to italy.
Discovery: The Jamestown Settlement
The Jamestown Settlement happened in 1607 sponsored by the Virginia company. This settlement was banded in 1699. It was forgotten and assumed to be washed out by a flood. In the 1900’s the national park service turned to archaeology on occasion of the 350th anniversary of the settlement.
Who needs and Owns the Past?
Oral traditions was a way of transmitting knowledge through storytelling. Although, it is difficult to use them scientifically, but often contained some events that cross with archeological findings. The question of what do native americans get from archaeological research has barely been asked. Why abrupt the past when their heritage and stories hold enough.
Why Does Archaeology Matter?
archaeology exercises are a curious fascination. So are some discoveries. Like the Moche lords of Sipán in Peru. this intact platform was buried on the first millennia AD with all of their silver and gold. Finds like these are seen as fascinating or even romantic in some cases. It brings the past the life in dramatic ways.
Archaeology as a Political Tool
The sumerians, who created the worlds first urban civilization in Iraq, created a past personified by a story of a legendary king. The past serves the present in many ways. we use the past and our own cultural biases to help build our value systems today. This shows that how archaeology as it describes the past it is an enterprise for scientific and political factors.
The Origins and Spread of Modern Humans
Genetic analysis points towards to Africa due to the findings of homo sapiens. They also found that they traveled out of Africa. Although homo erectus and older hominin also traveled as they migrated to Africa. Homo sapients such as other hominins like neanderthals or the denisovans are now extinct.
The Origins of Food Production
The ice age ending 15000 years ago made lots of big global changes. In around 10000 BC some hunter civilizations in Asia started collecting such as wheat and barley. Within a few centuries this became the normal and farmers were successful. This caused herding of farm animals to take over hunting.
The Origin of States (Civilization)
Before 3000 BC societies in egypt and mesopotamia appeared. These cities were ruled by supreme rulers. Preindustrial cities depends on animal and human power. Industrial cities depend on fossil fuels. Larger communities were known in the past. These large communities had social classes that assured a threat.
European Expansion
the expansion from europe was after 1430 AD. The five centuries that followed found westerners with lots of other human societies. Archaeologists developed the nascent world system. Meaning of economic and political interconnection that is a dominant trend in global economies.
