Exam 3 Flashcards
animal domestication
the processing of animal products for use as food, textiles, and tools.
cultivation
basic manipulation of nature, such as the intentional growing of plants.
extensive horticulture
a form of plant cultivation in which new plots are regularly cleared, prepared with digging sticks or hoes, and fertilized with animal dung, ash, or other natural products.
extensive or shifting cultivation
a horticultural practice in which plots of land are farmed for a period of time, then left to lie fallow as farmers move on to cultivate other plots.
fallow
describes a plot of land that is not cultivated for a period of time so that wild vegetation may grow in naturally.
intensive agriculture
a form of plant cultivation in which one plot is farmed over and over again using labor-intensive methods such as plowing, terracing, and irrigation.
intercropping
planting certain species of plants side by side to enhance their health and growth.
nomadism
the practice of moving frequently in search of resources.
pastoralism
the mode of subsistence associated with the care and use of herd animals.
plant domestication
the process of adapting wild plants for human use.
slash and burn
the technique of preparing a new plot by cutting down the trees and shrubs, burning the vegetation to the ground, then tilling the ash into the soil as fertilizer.
domestication
the selective breeding of a species by humans to create animals better suited to human life.
biocultural approach
a perspective that looks at both the cultural and biological roles that food plays in human lives.
residue studies
chemical analyses of small amounts of material left intact on surfaces in order to identify the substance.
affinal tie
a contractual relationship by marriage or mutual agreement that is depicted as a double line on the kinship chart.
bilateral descent
tracing an individual’s kinship through both the mother’s and father’s lines.
bride service
a transfer of wealth from the groom’s to the bride’s family through labor, usually the contracted labor of the groom, either before or after the marriage.
bride wealth
the transfer of material and symbolic value from the groom’s to the bride’s family in order to legitimize the marriage contract.
dowry
material value carried by the bride into her own marriage to provide her with symbolic leverage within her husband’s lineage.
consanguineal tie
a biological (bloodline) connection between individuals that is indicated by a single line on a kinship chart; it is considered to be a permanent tie that cannot be broken.
fictive kin
a kinship tie that is socially interpreted to be by blood or marriage and that is based on intentional relationships, such as adoption, godparenthood, or intimate personal ties.
kinship
a web of relationships in which people consider themselves related to each other in a social and biological way.
lineage
a continuous line of descent from an original ancestor.
matrilineal (uterine) descent
the descent of both males and females traced solely through the female ancestors; related to matrilocal residence
nuclear family
a family composed of two parents and their immediate offspring.
patrilineal (agnatic) descent
the descent of both males and females traced solely through male ancestors; related to patrilocal residence
polyandry
is the marriage of one wife and more than one husband.
polygyny
the marriage of one man to more than one woman.
unilineal descent
tracing an individual’s kinship through a single gendered line, either male or female, as a collective social rule for all families within a society.
How can you recognize domesticated plants?
1) increase in the edible portion
2) decrease in the wild fertility (less ability to disperse = easier to harvest)
3) less survival characteristics = safer, better tasting, and easier to harvest
When does the first domesticated wheat appear?
10,000 years ago
What are the pros of farming?
less animal attacks
garner more wealth
craft specialization
innovation to develop
sedentism and stability
material possessions
art and public works
What are the cons of farming?
spread of endemic disease
less variety of foods
intergroup conflict
injury by tools
delayed return economic system
food insecurity
working overtime
rapid population growth
crop failure
inequality
What was the first domesticated animal?
dogs, 12-14,000 years ago
What changes were seen in domesticated dogs?
reduction in body size
reduction in size of the mandible
close association with people
Where and what were the first domesticated livestock?
sheep and goats in the Zargos Mountains, Iran; used for milk and wool
How do pastoralists utilize their animals?
most do not eat their animals, instead they eat and use their by products (dairy, wool, etc)
Active Invention Theories
emphasize humans as active agents of change
Passive Invention Theories
domestication was not intentional, it was the by-product of other economic and cultural decisions
abundant wild resources and sedentary conditions allowed experimentation with plants
people don’t experiment when at risk of starvation
earliest domesticates are “camp followers” that do well in disturbed ground contexts
larger seeds with thin coats grow quicker
foraging unintentionally selects for shatter resistence
Active Invention Theories (Crisis Models)
due to food crisis people were forced to invent food production
population pressure model: at some point in the past the population growth exceeded the carrying capacity; groups pushed into marginal areas are forced to actively create food production
environmental change model: during a period of warming following the ice age, melting ice sheets into the atlantic ocean plunge temps and lower the carrying capacity rapidly, creating a food crisis
Active Invention Theories (Feasting)
food production emerged to supply emerging elites with large supplies of food for feasts
feasts were used to consolidate power and influence
early domesticates include speciality foods like chilies
grains = beer
What types of food production exists in delayed return economies?
pastoralism - domesticated animals
horticulture - low intensity farming
agriculture - high intensity farming
What are the features of horticulture?
low intensity subsistence farming
designed to minimize the risk of crop failure
field rotations
diverse crop complexes
genetic diversity
What are the features of agriculture?
high intensity surplus farming
designed to maximize returns
irrigation
land modifications
ploughing
Enamel Hypoplasia
lines that occur on the teeth from bouts of malnutrition stopping and starting
Harris Lines
growth arrest lines; occur when bone growth stops and starts
Porotic Hyperostosis
severe anemia during juvenile development
Bone Lesions
can be attributed to a variety of diseases including scurvy
Morbidity
disease/illness rate of a population
Mortality
actual death rate of a population
What is the osteological paradox?
the effects of illness on human bone is delayed
acute illness leaves few skeletal indicators
survivors of chronic illness may have lots of indicators
How can we scientifically tell what someone’s diet was and compare the difference between ecological zones?
by comparing the ratio of carbon 13 to nitrogen 15
What is the average age of death an indicator of?
fertility rates, not mortality rates
Systematic Context
actual past human behavior
dynamic
past
unobservable
Archaeological Context
preserved archaeological record
static
present
observable
What is the metaphysical dilemma?
how do we reconstruct the unobservable, dynamic, human past from a static archaeological record in the present?
use bridging arguments to reconstruct past culture
Do we have kin based organization?
nope!
experimental archaeology
replication of the conditions of the archaeological record
ethno-archaeology
observation of living peoples from an archeological perspective
ethnographic analogy
use of ethnographic sources to interpret patterning in the archaeological record
Demographic Changes in the Neolithic
lower adult life span; increased mortality over morbidity
increased childhood mortality = increased fertility rates
women don’t survive past child-bearing years
food production has only benefited a certain group of men; social inequality
Social Changes in the Neolithic
households go from being circular to square structures (a development of villages with apartment blocks)
burials now appear in house floors
Endogamy
the custom of marrying only within the limits of a local community, clan, or tribe
Exogamy
the custom of marrying outside a community, clan, or tribe
Parallel Cousins
part of your kin group; father’s brother’s or mother’s sister’s children
Cross Cousins
not a part of your kin group, preferred for marriage; mother’s brother’s or father’s sister’s children
Neolocal Residence
a postmarital residence pattern in which the newly married couple establishes an independent household not connected to either spouse’s family
Patrilocal Residence
a postmarital residence pattern in which a newly married couple establishes their new household with the groom’s family
Matrilocal Residence
a postmarital residence pattern in which the newly married couple establishes their new household with the bride’s family
Extended Family Household
multiple nuclear family units living in the same household
