Lecture 19 - Intro To Archaeology Flashcards
What can we know from human skeletal remains?
Age at death, stature, sex, pathologies and disease history, life stress, diet
What and where were labrets used for?
On the Northwest Coast they were used as a symbol of status.
How can we tell a person wore labrets?
The teeth show wear and tear of labret use.
What does archaeological science study regarding ancient DNA?
Fossil hominins and modern humans
Which groups did ancestral humans breed with?
Neanderthals and Denisovans
What does the carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratio indicate in agricultural societies?
Whether people subsisted on plants rich in carbon-13 (corn/maize) or if diet was derived from marine or terrestrial animals.
What is the significance of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 ratio?
It indicates how high up on the food chain (trophic level) people were obtaining protein. Although, it only measures protein so it is not useful for plant diets.
What dietary shift was observed in indigenous peoples in British Columbia through the Holocene?
Increasing salmon diet
What was found in the Altamira Cave, Italy?
The Neanderthals living there had a diet of only meat. 40,000 BP.
What isotopes are analyzed to determine the place of origin of ancient populations?
Strontium and other isotopes
What does micromorphology study?
Analysis of archaeological sediments at the microscopic level.
What did Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa, indicate?
It found ash in the cave date to 1 MYA, also found heated bones. indicated early use of fire.
What did Dr. Francesco Berna determine about the bone found in Wonderwerk cave?
Bone could not have been heated naturally through high temperature
What does differential treatment of individuals in mortuary practices indicate?
Not reflecting age or sex
What types of evidence are associated with warfare?
Military facilities, forts, walls, defensive sites, weaponry, armor, etc.
