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Archaeology > Mid term > Flashcards

Mid term Flashcards

1
Q

Archaeology?

A

It is the scientific study of human past throught its material remains.
Gains knowledge through a scientific method of inquiry
Relies heavily on empirical evidence
Must consider ALL the evidence and construct hypotheses (theories)

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2
Q

Pseudoarchaeology?

A

Based on very selective evidence, or no evidence

empirical: something that can be seen, touched, measured etc.

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3
Q

Erich Von Daniken

A

King of Pseudoarchaeology

Pacal’s coffin stone-aliens

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4
Q

The goals of archaeology

A

1) To reconstruct lifeways of the people that created the archaeological record
2) To explain why people did things the way they did, particularly why cultures changed over time

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5
Q

Kinds of Archaeology

A

1) Prehistoric: study of the human past before written records
2) Historical: study of the past where written records are used together
3) Classical: specific kind of historical archaeology focusing on Greece and Rome.
4) Underwater/Marine: study of shipwrecks, but also marine activities of coastal dwelling peoples

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6
Q

CULTURE?

A

that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by [a person] as a member of society.

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7
Q 
B.C. 
B.C.E. 
A.D.
C.E
B.P.
A 
before Christ
before common era
Anno domini (after death of Christ)
common era
before present
Millions of years ago
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8
Q

Types of archaeologists

A
  1. Academic: research (Universities, Museums, Govt., Parks Canada)
  2. Consultant: heritage conservation
    E.g. BC Association of Professional Archaeologists
    http://www.bcapa.ca/
  3. Avocational: based on interest (public)
    e. g. Archaeological Society of B.C. www.asbc.bc.ca
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9
Q

Why do archaeology?

A
  • Simple curiosity – natural in humans
  • Contribution to knowledge

-A way of understanding who we are as a species?
How did we come to be who we are?
What can we learn from our past?

-Applied archaeology
Redressing the past (injustice)?

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10
Q

Archaeological Record

A

those traces and material remains that document past human activity
-can be broken down by geography and time

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11
Q

Archaeological Methods

A

ways in which we discover recover, preserve, describe and analyse the archaeological record

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12
Q

Archaeological Theory

A

body of ideas that guide archaeologists in their work, and ultimately provides the means to interpret the archaeological record

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13
Q

Antiquarian Period

A 
Prior to 1800s
 pre-scientific pursuit
 collecting of artifacts as curiosities
 little attempt to understand societies
 explanations derived from biblical theology and scripture
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14
Q

The Rosetta Stone – found in 1799

A

Jean-Francois Champollion Deciphers hieroglyphs on Rosetta Stone in A.D. 1822

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15
Q

Giovanni Belzoni

A

The most infamous tomb robber (looter) of all time

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16
Q

Archbishop James Ussher – 17th century AD

A

chronologyProclaims that the world was created on the evening before October 23, 4,004 B.C.

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17
Q

John Frere -1797

A

Finds tropical animals and stone axes in English gravel beds

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18
Q

Jacques Boucher de Perthes -1836

A

Considered by some to be the “father” of

Paleolithic archaeology

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19
Q

Georges Cuvier

A

Late 18th century

Studied dinosaurs bones and geology

Realized that dinosaurs once “ruled” the earth

Explained extinction of dinosaurs through flooding, before humans were created

Theory of Catastrophism

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20
Q

James Hutton

A

18th century Scottish geologist

Proposed that the earth was formed slowly through natural processes such as accumulation, erosion etc.

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21
Q

Charles Lyell

A

The Principles of Geology 1830-33

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22
Q

Uniformitarianism

A

Created by Charles Lyell
a single set of processes can account for both past and present geological forms

Natural processes created the world as we see it (Implications: the earth is dynamic and continually changing)

Therefore: the earth must be much older than 6,000 years

Present is a key to the past

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23
Q

Charles Darwin

A

On the Origin of Species (1859)
Showed how organisms could change over time natural selection

Implication: humans could be much older than 6,000 years

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24
Q

“Modern” Archaeology Period

A

begins in 1800s with revolutions in geological and evolutionary thinking

realization of depth of time represented in archaeological and geological record

scientific principles come to govern the study of the past

concerns with the workings of past societies

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25
Q

Christian Thomsen

A

appointed curator in 1816
Organized artifacts by material and technology
Stone, Bronze, Iron
Chronological order
J.J.A. Worsaae took Thomsen’s ideas and applied them to archaeological sites throughout Europe

Organized sites in chronological order

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26
Q

Modified Thomsen scheme

A 
Old stone age: Paleolithic
Middle Stone age: Mesolithic
New Stone age: Neolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
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27
Q

Analogy

A

Using ethnographic information to
try and explain archeological patterning
Ethnographic peoples as models for
Interpreting the past

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28
Q

Heinrich Schliemann

A

Born in early 19th century

Became interested in epic tales of Homer, especially the Trojan war

Wanted to know where ancient town of Troy was located
Schliemann knew that Troy would have been a big opulent town, with temples and grand architecture, treasure, etc.
1870: Schliemann begins excavations at Hissarlik
Employs 150 local people as excavators
1873: begins finding architectural remains and large hordes of metal objects, including gold
1875 Announces that he has found Troy
Sneaks all treasure out of country
-goes on display at Berlin Museum in 1881 and disappears
More recently scholars have questioned Schliemann’s actual role in “finding” Troy

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29
Q

cultural change

A

Archaeologists examine artifact changes over time

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30
Q

Augustus Pitt Rivers

A 
Initial interest in evolutionary 
history of muskets
(musket form change over time)
Arranged his own collection in 
evolutionary sequence
Argued: apply same analysis to any types of artifacts
Conducted excavations with military
Precision
Every find was recorded (contra Schliemann)
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31
Q

Typology

A

putting things in order
by time and category
Creating schemes of classification based on attributes

Ordering in time and space

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32
Q

Oscar Montelius

A

Began developing archaeological
typologies in late 19th century

Used evolution of railway
carriage as example of typolo

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33
Q

Flinders Petrie

A

Created special typologies for Egyptian pottery – allowed for dating
Seriation- the pottery come in different shapes (in series, through time)
Stylistic seriation: similarities and differences in attributes (could be temporal or spatial)
Frequency Seriation: Frequency seriation: looking at relative frequencies of artifacts
Battleship curve

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34
Q

Mortimer Wheeler

A

Began using grid-square method of excavation

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35
Q

The Descriptive Period

A

1870-1950s (Alfred Kidder, leading American archaeologist)
-Construction of typologies and classifications were main concerns

Known commonly as the Culture History Approach

Putting archaeological “cultures” in time and space

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36
Q

Alfred Kidder

A

Worked in American southwest

Created ceramic typology and chronology for the entire southwest US
Lindbergh
Also argued strongly that archaeology and anthropology should be strongly aligned

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37
Q

Franz Boas

A

Influential anthropologist in early 20th century

Argued against universal social evolution

-societies should be examined in light of their own history
(people are products of their history)

Historical Particularism

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38
Q

Historical Particularism

A

-societies should be examined in light of their own history

people are products of their history

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39
Q

The Direct Historical Approach

A 
Applied in areas where there was  historical continuity e.g. the American southwest
Logic: cultural continuity
between people that created the 
archaeological record and 
current inhabitants

Work backwards

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40
Q

Culture change
Diffusion
Migration

A

Diffusion: The spread of ideas from one area to another
Example:
Many thought that the idea of civilization developed in Near East and spread elsewhere, including the Americas

Migration: physical movement of peoples

These two were thought to be the primary mechanisms for culture change

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41
Q

Gordon Childe

A

Developed the concept of archaeological cultures

-every society has rules for behaviour (norms), reflected in pottery design, spear point shape, etc

began asking why do cultures change?

-why did people develop agriculture?

Childe favoured environmental explanations

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42
Q

Julian Steward

A

influential 1950s anthropologist
who developed concept of Cultural Ecology

-cultures are determined by the ecology in which they participate

The cultural core of subsistence related traits mediates between environment and the rest of culture

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43
Q

Willard Libby-1949

A

Announces the invention of radiocarbon dating

Provides absolute date
(e.g. 2,105 BP)

Huge impact on archaeology and many other disciplines

Libby went on to win Nobel Prize

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44
Q

Lewis Binford

A

Influenced by Steward

  • in turn became one of the most influential archaeologists in history
  • Paradigm shift
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45
Q

Processual archaeology 1960s - present

A

Binford and others were dissatisfied with culture history

Wanted to go beyond and ask why cultures change

Wanted to explain culture process (Processual Archaeology)

Processual archaeologists
Wanted to distance themselves from old school archaeologists
Called their movement the “New Archeology”
Interested in universal “regularities”
Envisioned cultures as “systems”
subsistence, technology, ideology were all sub-systems
-part of peoples’ adaptation to their environment
subsistence, technology, ideology were all sub-systems
-also pushed for the use of scientific methods
-part of peoples’ adaptation to their environment
-Statistics and quantitative methods (and objectivity)
Hypothesis testing
-Binford and associates were quite aggressive in their critiques of “old school” archaeologists
-picked on certain archaeologists and forced them to reconsider their ideas (many were afraid)
-eventually changed the course of archaeology, particularly in the Americas

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46
Q

Post-Processual archaeology

A

Began in Europe in 1980s as a reaction to Processual archaeology

Leading proponent was Ian Hodder
(Cambridge at the time, now Stanford)

Challenged the Processual view that culture was primarily an adaptation to the environment

Interested in “social” aspects of human lifeways

Looking at “individuals” in history

Claimed that culture change can be caused by human agency

Argue for more gendered approaches

Today includes a number of different approaches, e.g: Marxist, Hermeneutic, Interpretive, Feminist, etc.

Key contributions:

-Self reflexivity
Can we be completely objective? (free of bias?)

-Multivocality (inclusion of many perspectives)

47
Q

Today’s archaeology

A

Some archaeologists are trying to find a balance between Culture History, Processual and Post-Processual archaeologies

No one school appears to dominate

Not necessarily mutually exclusive approaches!

New techniques in archaeological science

Why is this important
Theory or conceptual leanings tend to guide archaeologists at every step

Determines what questions we ask and how we go about answering them

48
Q

Archaeological Record

A

those material remains that

document past human activities

49
Q

3 classes of archaeological data

A

1) Artifacts
1) Features
1) Ecofacts
2) Sites
3) Regions

50
Q

Artifacts

A

portable objects whose form has been

wholly or partially modified by humans

51
Q

FEATURES

A

non-portable human or human-made remains that
cannot be removed from their place of discovery
without altering or destroying their original form

52
Q

ECOFACTS

A

non-artifact natural remains

that have cultural significance

53
Q

SITES

A

Any place on the landscape where
there is evidence for human activity
Could contain artifacts or features and ecofacts, or any combination

e.g. habitation sites
Kill sites
Quarry sites

54
Q

Regions

A

Region is a physically definable area (enclosed by mountains, lakes, etc)

Spatial distribution of sites over landscape

Advantages: larger scale, can look at trade and exchange, roads, shared beliefs

55
Q

Matrix

A

Physical substance that surrounds the archaeological material

Can be gravel, sand, mud, shell, ice, water etc.
Matrix would be different in each case (deposition)

56
Q

Provenience

A

Exact location of find within the matrix

Usually 3-d recording

FiRs-1: 2304
Catalogue number

57
Q

The Law of Association

A

J.J.A. Worsaae

Items found together on the same horizontal plane are of similar age

58
Q

STRATUM

STRATIGRAPHY

A 
"Layer"
Anything composed of layers
or strata is “stratified”
interpretation of the layering
[“strata or stratification”]
in archaeological sites
59
Q

LAW OF SUPERPOSITION

A 
In a set of strata, the order of DEPOSITION
must have been from lowest to uppermost
UPPER - deposited last
LOWEST - deposited first
(Stratigraphic section ot Profile)
60
Q

RE-DEPOSITION

A 
changes the order
of the layers
so that “older” layers
now lie above 
“younger” layers
[but law of superposition
is NOT violated
because law relates 
to deposition 
NOT necessarily age]
61
Q

Archaeological Context

A

. PRIMARY - undisturbed since its original deposition
Association and provenience are intact

  1. SECONDARY – not in original position of deposition
    (disturbed)
    Association and provenience are questionable
62
Q

FORMATION PROCESSES

Transformational Processes

A
  1. CULTURAL – (C-Transforms) human activities
    that modify the environment (and leave material
    Evidence)
  2. NATURAL – (N-Transforms)
63
Q

Cultural Formation Processes

A

human activities that modify the environment

4 idealized stages
Acquisition
Manufacture
Use
Deposition
64
Q

Natural Formation Processes

A

Large number of processes

Dynamic (continuous)

Unique to each situation (not the same processes operate everywhere)

Fast flowing rivers (can move archaeological material even after burial)

Burrowing animals, insects, tree roots

Move archaeological materials
Earthquakes/tsunamis
Hurricanes
Ice freezing/thawing

Play a large role in preservation of organic archaeological materials
Examples?
Preservation dictated largely by environment:

Critical factors: Temperature and humidity

65
Q

SCONDARY CONTEXT

A

means data associations result from

TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESSES

66
Q

Best conditions for organic preservation

A 
Extremely dry
Mummies
Extremely wet
shipwreck
Extremely cold
Baby mammoth 42000 BP, permafrost in Siberia
67
Q

Difference between archaeology in Olden days or today?

A

Archaeology in the Olden Days

Pursuit of the wealthy

Focus was on conspicuous “sexy” sites
Archaeology in the Field Today

  1. Research Design
    • Research Questions, Sampling
  2. Survey
    • Surface Methods, Subsurface Testing, Mapping, Technology
68
Q

THE CHAIN OF DATA REDUCTION

A

All human behaviour that ever happened in the past.
All the material remains produced by that behavior.
All the remains that survive transformational processes.
All the remains that are possible to locate.

Archaeological data that are located by an archaeologist.
Data that are collected in archaeological fieldwork.
Data that get analyzed.
Data that are published.

                             produces...
           ARCHAEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
69
Q

Development of cultural complexity

A

When did agriculture begin?
-look for archaeological evidence in tools: e.g. stone sickle blades for harvesting, domesticated plants/animals

When do people start settling down?
-look for evidence of transition from hunter-gatherer camps to long-term villages

When do we see evidence for social inequality?
-look for evidence in burials; some may be much more elaborate than others

70
Q

Research Design

A

Step by step plan to address specific research question(s)

Includes assessment of previous knowledge, new data collection, analysis and publication

71
Q

Research funding for academic archaeology

A

Canada
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Indigenous communities

US
National Science Foundation (NSF)

Plus many other agencies (National Geographic, etc.)

72
Q

A GOOD RESEARCH DESIGN…

A
  1. establishes the question(s) you will investigate
    and the kinds of data needed to answer it
  2. guides what kind of data you will collect in the field,
    which makes your project do-able and focused
  3. makes your project fundable
73
Q

Archaeological survey

Types of survey

A

1) General reconnaissance survey
2) Site survey

In either case, one must define the boundaries of the survey

74
Q

General reconnaissance survey

Ground
Aerial?

A

Systematic attempt to locate, identify and record the distribution of archaeological sites

Includes geographic and environmental background

Physical setting: proximity to lake or river, quarry, valley system, etc.

Ground Survey: Geomorphology/landforms/hydrology/forest types/resources
Indigenous Traditional Knowledge

Previous archaeological work (e.g. RAAD – Remote Access to Archaeological Data in B.C.)
Historic documentation
Other local knowledge
Conspicuous sites
Aerial reconnaissance
Remote sensing from the air
Aerial Reconnaissance Photography直升机或无人机向下拍

75
Q

Remote sensing on the ground(sub-surface testing)

A

Invasive
Coring
Augering
Shovel testing

Non-invasive
Magnetometry
Resistivity
Ground penetrating radar

76
Q

Other ways of detecting(survey)

A 
Sideways Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR)
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
Satellite Imaging (Landsat)
Satellite Archaeology
Google Earth and others
Sarah Parcak
Satellite Imaging -Survey
Remote sensing under water Sidescan sonar
Can detect large features on ocean/ lake floor
Drone photography and mapping
77
Q

Archaeological Survey

benefits

A
  • data collection method used to gain
    information about a site or region (many sites)
  • archaeologists inspect surface
    and subsurface to locate archaeological data
  • produces information through methods
    less intensive than excavation
78
Q

Archaeological excavation

A

Major way to acquire data about the past

Generally the entire site is not excavated

Sites that are threatened may be entirely excavated

79
Q

Site Datum

A

Reference point from which everything is measured

Usually permanent or semi-permanent marker on landscape

Grid is established from datum

80
Q

Excavation Unit

A

11 m in size/ 22 m in size

81
Q

Recording Provenience

Methods?

A
  • the three dimensional location of artifacts and other
    archaeological data within an archaeological site
    Optical Transit/Stadia Rod
    Total Station
    Compass/Hip Chain
82
Q

What is Archaeological Excavation

A

intensive data collection method used to gain
information about a site

focuses on the associations of artifacts and features
a site contains

main means of acquiring archaeological data

destructive process, collecting provenience information
is absolutely crucial!!!

83
Q

Borden Site Designation Scheme

A

Used to identify archaeological sites throughout Canada

Four letters (two capital, two lower case) and a number

e.g. FiRs-28
Each small square =
10’ of latitude
(12)
Each small square = 10’ of longitude (24)
84
Q

Archaeological dating

A

Relative
Compare two or more bits of archaeological data, and determine which one is older

No specific age given

Absolute

85
Q

Assemblage

A

All materials collected from a single site or layer

86
Q

Archarology Laboratory (other dating method?)

A 
Artifact cleaning
Artifact conservation
Artifact labeling
Artifact cataloguing
Describe and record details, measurements, etc
Usually on standardized database

Photographs and illustrations

Attributes: colour, shape, length, width, etc
Classification
E.g. 100 pots classified 
by colour: 50 red, 50 black
by shape: 60 round, 40 oval
by shape and colour: 30 red round, 20 red oval 30 black round, 20 black oval
Fossil Index
The Pleistocene – 1.8mya – 10,000 BP
Glacial cycles
Beringia
LoessFine dust particles
Loess-sand-gravel
Pollen studies (Palynology)
Faunal Dating
Chemical dating(e.g fluorine and others)
Organic material (e.g. bone) transform where organic material replaced by minerals (fossilization)

Fossils of different ages will have different mineral content

87
Q

Abosolute dating

A

Calendars
Aztec
Coins
Glacial Varves counting 数石头有几层
Dendrochronology（tree ring dating）Invented by A.E. Douglass
Based on concept of annual tree ring growth
Tree rings indicate age and general environmental conditions
Requires:
-archaeological use of same tree type
-very good preservation of organics
Cores of modern samples compared with those of increasing age
Each region has distinctive growth pattern
Different tree types cannot be compared with each other
Master chart is then established for a particular region

Radiometric Methods
Radiocarbon
Potassium Argon
Thermoluminescence
Fission Track

Amino Acid Racemization
Archaeomagnetic Dating

88
Q

Disadvantages and Adcantages of Dendrochronology

A

Disadvantages:

  • requires proper tree types
  • use of same species by people in the past
  • needs very good preservation conditions

Advantages:

  • precise and reliable dating method (to within a few years)
  • In SW USA, chart goes back at least 2,000 BP
89
Q

ABSOLUTE ‘RADIOMETRIC’ DATINGBasic Principles

A

Use decay rate of radioactive isotopes to measure time
Range of time measured based on isotope “half life”
Decay rate unaffected by environment
Exploit the principles of radioactive decay

Two most important methods:
Radiocarbon (14C) and Potassium/Argon (K/Ar)

Others:
Thermoluminescence, Fission Track, Uranium series

90
Q

Radiocarbon (14C) dating

A

Invented by Libby (chemist) in 1949

Based on decay of carbon isotope
Half life

5,730 years

Materials: must be organic

Bone collagen, charcoal, shell, wood, leather, etc.

Date by association

Samples can be contaminated easily

Conventional dating: maximum age range of about 40,000 BP

Sample gets destroyed (burned)

Date is a statistical average

Newer technique: AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry)

Requires much smaller samples

Can date back to 50,000 BP
Lower limit is about 100 BP

3400 ± 200 BP
Date lies somewhere between 3,600 and 3,200 BP

Problem: amount of 14C has not been constant

Radiocarbon dates need to be calibrated (software widely available)

Bristlecone Pine chart

Dates become more difficult to calibrate beyond 9,000 BP

Marine reservoir effect (can also affect lakes and rivers)

Excess circulating carbon

Correction needed

91
Q

Advantages and Disadvantages of Carbon Dating

A

Disadvantages

  • maximum limit of 50,000 BP
  • organic material
  • samples contaminated easily

Advantages

  • quick, efficient dating method
  • many commercial labs
  • somewhat cost effective
  • calibration software widely available
92
Q

Potassium Argon (Argon/Argon) Dating

A

Half life of 1.3 billion years

Volcanic layers can be dated
with this technique

Method first used in 1959 to date “Zinj” layer at Olduvai Gorge

Dated to 1.75 mya (million years ago)
Dating range: 100,000 to 3 billion years ago

Disadvantages

  • need volcanic materials in stratigraphy
  • fewer labs equipped to do this kind of work

Advantages
-in areas with strata of volcanic origin, this is a fairly reliable method

93
Q

Other Types of Dating?

A

Thermoluminescence (TL) dating
Used mainly to date pottery (certain minerals)

Ceramics and glass trap electrons (natural radiation)

Different constant per area (background)
Sample heated to 400-500° C, trapped energy is released

  • clock set to “zero”
  • measuring energy released leads to time since firing (last “zero”)

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)
Quartz and feldspar in buried sediments

Can date sediment layers
Disadvantages
-accuracy not great (but improving)
-should be used with other methods
-background radiation needs to be accounted for

Advantages
-can date materials that K/Ar cannot date (pottery, soil, minerals such as quartz)

94
Q

Fission Track Dating

A
  • volcanic rocks
  • minerals in rocks contain small amounts of 238Uranium
  • decays over time
  • some 238U atoms decay through spontaneous fission
  • microscopic tracks can be counted

-standard rate of decay
Date range: 100,000 - > 2 billion years

Disadvantages:

  • suitable raw materials not present everywhere, esp. volcanic glass
  • large error bars

Advantages:
-can work as independent check on K/Ar dating

95
Q

Amino Acid Racemization

A

Changes in amino acids after death

L-isomers change to D-isomers

Knowing rate of change can
tell us how long ago animal died

Aspartic acid: 5,000-100,000 BP

Method still in development

96
Q

Archaeomagnetic Dating

A

Direction and intensity of earth’s magnetic field has changed over time

These are “recorded” in some clays containing magnetic minerals
Requires (non-portable) materials with clay, e.g. clay floors in houses

Sample collection is complicated requiring specialist and equipment

Date range at present is about 2,000 BP

Earth’s magnetic field reverses polarity in cycles

Also recorded in soil

Cannot be used as a dating method by itself

Good for cross dating with K/Ar dates

97
Q 
Absolute Dating Techniques
METHOD
Radiocarbon (14C)
Radiopotassium (40K)
Fission-Track
Uranium Series
AA Racemization
Luminescence
ESR
A 
TIME RANGE (Approx)
100 – 50,000 BP
100,000 - billions BP
100 000 – 2 billion BP
30,000 – 300,000 BP
up to 100,000 BP
up to 1,000,000 BP
up to 1,000,000 BP
98
Q

ISSUES, LIMITATIONS, and PROBLEMS with ABSOLUTE DATING

A

SPECIFIC TO RADIOCARBON
Radiometric years may not equal calendar years - calibration required
Marine versus Terrestrial carbon affects result (Marine reservoir)

FOR ALL ABSOLUTE METHODS
Statistical measurements – variable precision
Low precision affects interpretation
Time coverage lacks for 40 000 to 350 000 years ago

99
Q

How to Date specific?!

A

Method chosen depends largely on age range of site and datable materials

Cross-dating is always a good thing to do! (use more than one method)

100
Q

Stone technology

A

Most common artifacts found in sites around the world
(stone tools)

Begins over 3 million years ago in Eastern Africa

People all over the world relied on stone technology

Hardest occurring raw material in nature

Raw material extremely important

Type of rock will dictate method of working

e. g. slate not generally good for flaking, but can be abraded/ground
e. g. certain types of basalt are good for flaking

101
Q

Chipped stone technology

A

Raw materials are not evenly distributed on the landscape (depth of planning required)

People often went to “quarries” to collect stone that is good for flaking

  • tools for toolmaking
  • learning
  • scheduling other resources
  • social aspects

Hammerstone

Hard hammer: generally a rock (must be harder than material worked)

Soft hammer: antler, bone, hard wood, softer stone
Flake / Core distinction

Flake: piece of rock material that has been detached from a parent piece

Core: parent material from which flakes have been detached

102
Q

Features of a TYPICAL FLAKE
Ventral Surface
Dorsal Surface

A

On ventral surface

  1. Point of impact
  2. Striking platform
  3. Cone of percussion
  4. Bulb of percussion
  5. Ripple marks

On dorsal surface

  1. Flake scars
  2. Cortex
    RETOUCH-further edge flaking to shape tool form
    or re-sharpen edge after use
103
Q

Oldowan Technology

A

Old stone technology that began around 2.5 million years ago

Cores and Flakes

104
Q

ACHEULEAN BIFACIAL TECHNOLOGY

A

Hand-axe
Cleaver
Various Hand-axe forms

105
Q

LEVALLOIS
FLAKING
TECHNIQUE

A 
preparing a core
for removal of
a finished tool,
in this case, a
Levallois point
Starts 200,000 BP
106
Q

BLADE TECHNOLOGY

A 
- blades are flakes
that are very long
and thin (2:1 ratio)
- blade production
maximizes amount
of cutting edge from
a piece of stone
Begins 100,000 BP
Solutrean Points
About 17,000 BP
Atl Atl (spearthrower)
Variations:

-throwing board

-Australia: woomera
Used until fairly recently
Bow and arrow(about 12,000 BP)

107
Q

Wood/plant based technology

Likely very early in human history (preservation?)

A

Very rare preservation, but can tell much about technology, use and paleoenvironment

108
Q

Bone tool technology

A

First appear in Upper Paleolithic in Europe (preservation?)
Usually land mammal bones (in B.C. deer, elk, moose etc)

Bird bone used as well

Fish bone not good for tool use

cutting and grinding

109
Q

Fire

A

Making fire is a complex procedure
Requires proper raw materials

Complex learning process

110
Q

Containers

A

Gourds
Ostrich egg shells
Hide/leather containers

Internal organs of various animals
Basketry

111
Q

Pottery

A

Japan: around 12,000 BP
Near East: by 9,000 BP
Near East pottery appears roughly at same time as permanent villages
Pottery tends to be associated with sedentary societies

Mobile hunter gatherers rarely made/carried around pottery
Fairly complex technology

Requires suitable clay and proper mixture of water

Temper must be added, (prevents breaking during firing)

Some common tempers: sand, crushed shell + ?
Early pottery made by coil method use hand to shape
Paddle and anvil method use stone to shape
Around 5,000 BP potter’s wheel first used in Near east
Firing technology to burn it- kilns
Importance

Extremely important in archaeology before radiocarbon dating invented
Possible to source the clay, if pottery traded over some distance
Residues can tell us what the pot was used for (food, honey, wine, etc)

112
Q

Metal

A

Preservation is largely dependent on soil conditions

Earliest metal used was copper, in Near east by 9,000 BP

Native copper

Not widely distributed

Cold hammered/rolled into shape
Traded extensively

In this form, copper is not very strong

Metallurgy first shows up around 6,000 BP

Good evidence in eastern Europe by 5,500 BP

Bronze
After 5,500 BP alloying developed in Near East

Copper alloyed with tin, arsenic or lead results in bronze
Bronze is much stronger and more durable than copper
Iron
May have developed in Africa between 4-3,000 BP

Quarries
Very complex technology
Requires much learning

Apprentice system in Africa

Heavy social component

Smelting process requires high temperatures

Experience
Iron implements are much stronger than bronze
Carburization (iron is converted to steel) in eastern Mediterranean after 3200 BP

Rest of Europe: Iron starts spreading at 2700 BP

Gold-Egypt, central& south America

113
Q

How do we know how the technology was made or what it was used for?
Ethnographic analogy

Experimental archaeology

A

Experimental Archaeology
Replication and use of ancient technologies

Range from stone tools to entire villages
Boat construction
Hide scraping

Ethnoarchaeology

114
Q

Technology?

function

A

Greater complexity and efficiency over time

More specialized knowledge (stone to iron)

Technology: allowed for cultural adaptation to varied environments

Archaeology (1 decks)

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