FINAL EXAM Flashcards
Purpose of Experimental Archaeology
Doing case studies to test the feasibility/experimenting to see how old technologies were used. (poop knife)
NAGPRA - meaning (What it stands for)
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
NAGPRA - year enacted
1990
NAGPRA - what type of people does it protect?
Federally recognized tribes, nations, Alaskan native corporation (villages), Hawaiian natives
NAGPRA/Repatriation - Criteria
- Bodily remains of known/culturally affiliated individuals
- Funeral objects (Associated/unassociated)
- Sacred objects (objects that can’t be taken away by a tribe - deemed holy/sacrosanct by virtue of their ritual/ceremonial associations)
- Objects of cultural patrimony (inheritance of one’s father)
- Objects acquired illegally
NAGPRA/Repatriation - procedure
1) Repatriation request
2) Documentation
NAGPRA/Repatriation - Inventory and Consultations
- Brief descriptions and counts of artifacts
- Enter into database
- Send this data to tribes
- Tribes would request a visit
- Consult with representatives
Number of total federally recognized tribes
574
NAGPRA/Repatriation - Final Steps
1) Write a report of findings and make a recommendation for repatriation
2) if affiliation is found, then disposition arrangement must be made
NAGPRA - Who’s responsible?
Responsibility belongs to the people that has the artifacts (MUSEUMS/ LAB)
CRM - what is it
Cultural Resource Management: Archaeology associated w modern development. (Umbrella term)
- Includes NAGPRA/Repatriation
- National museum of Amerian Indian Act
Archaeology Explanation - what is it
- Why do things change
Archaeology Explanation - reasons to why things change
- migration and diffusion
Archaeology Explanation -migration definition
moving to another location taking their technologies/ideas with them
Archaeology Explanation -diffusion definition
when ideas spread from one population to another
What are the Expectations in the Archaeological for Migration?
- New things arrive suddenly and sometimes replace old things (e.g. artifacts, technology, architecture, etc.)
- New ideas appear suddenly (religion, astronomical observations, burial practices)
- New people arrive suddenly (if burial population is examined
Evidence for migrations
- New styles of artifacts with no evidence of development
-Materials from elsewhere appear suddenly
-Isotope analysis of human remains reveal clear differences - Not just the things, but how they are made are very different
Expectations in the Archaeological Record - Diffusion
- Gradual change in things as ideas slowly move into a society from neighboring areas
- Not replacement of things but can see objects being incorporated over time
- Societies are often slow to accept ideas that come from outside their groups
- No differences in the burial populations prior
Evidence - Diffusion
- Gradual change and acceptance of new objects and ideas over time
= SIMILAR STYLE IN THE APPEARANCE OF OBJECTS
= Long distance trade in items? (exotic materials, luxury goods…) - Asymmetrical acceptance of ideas
- No physical changes in the human remains
State level society
Sedentary society (does not move). Most evolved form of society
Pseudoscience
- skewing historical stuff; alien, stonehedge
Repatriation - idea, goals
Idea : returning artifacts and other related objects to their rightful owners
Goals: To right past wrongs, creating new relationships
National Museum of American Indian Act, when and who?
When: 1989
Who: Memorial to native Americans, figure headed by the Smithsonian Institution
Why is it important to have diverse people in Archaeology?
Better/varying perspectives, people from the cultures dealt with are better able to decipher, respect, and understand artifacts/related items, cultural representation (prevent cultural bias).
Public Archaeology (Popular) - what is it
Archaeology engages with the public in many ways.
Includes:
- CRM
- Doc shows/ Articles
- Heritages Resources
- Interpretation for the Public
- Repatriation
Kon-Tiki Expedition
Expedition Thor Heyerdahl went on to sail from Peru on a balsa wood raft (Archaeological Experimentation).
-Had 5 crewmates
Proved long distance water travel to be possible.
flintknapping
- creating a knife/arrow by snapping its edges
usewear
Identify the purpose of an object by examining the wear and tear on it
Metallurgy
-things that are made out of metal
Origins of state-level societies (examples)
- Hydraulic Hypothesis
- Internal Conflict
- Warfare
- Population Growth
- Environmental Circumscription
- External Trade
Origins of state-level societies – Environmental Circumscription
occurs when an area of productive agricultural land is surrounded by a less productive area such as the mountains, desert, or sea.
Origin of state-level society - Internal Conflict:
What does a conflict theory of the origin of the state emphasize?
The theory emphasizes the role of social inequality, competition for resources, and class struggle in shaping the social order. At its core, conflict theory posits that society is composed of different groups with competing interests.
Origin of state-level society- Hydraulic Hypothesis
Civilization created around water - state/grounded civilizations are created because of their reliance of water (irrigation, construction, productivity, scheduling, etc.)
Ways to identify/evaluate pseudoarchaeology
- Is the hypothesis (idea) testable? (Case Studies)
- Is the hypothesis compatible with our general understanding of the archaeological record?
- Can the hypothesis be used to explain more phenomena than competing explanations?
- Occam’s Razor (simplest explanation is usually the best)
- Have all competing explanations been considered equally?
monolith vs Megalith: What’s the difference?
Monoliths - big upright stones made/modified by ancient people (they stand alone)
–> used for marking graves, religious ceremonies, astronomy…
Megalith- same thing but are part of a structure
Public Archaeology examples
- Archaeology of the Homelessness
- Archaeology of the undocumented migrations
- Archaeology of Forensics
- Archaeology of the contemporary Waste (landfields)
Bias in Archaeology (things that skewed the truth behind archaeology)
- Archaeological framework
- Conceptual framework
- Age
- Sex
- Nationality
- Ethnicity
- Training and education
- Time and place
T/F: It is legal to excavate on private property
False –> it is illegal
