midterm Flashcards
archaeology
study of artifacts and relics of early mankind
catastrophism
theory that states that natural disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions shaped earth’s landforms and caused extinction of some species
charles darwin
english natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)
classcal archaeology
the branch of archaeology that studies the “classical” civilizations of the mediterranean , such as Greece and rome, and the near reast
three age system
a way to divide history into periods based on technology from the stone age to the bronze age to the iron age
closed context
a tomb, casket, once you put it there it stays permanently
four fields of anthropology
biological, cultural, linguistic, archaeology
unniformitarianism
a principle that geologic processes that occurred in the past can be explained by current geologic processes
grand tour
a piligrirmage of aristocrats, wealthy and diplomatic persons to tour the important area of europe to obtain the knowledge and classical culture
prehistoric archaeology
the reconstruction of human behavior in the distant past (before written records) through the examination of artifacts
archaeological survey
methods of archaeologists use to acquire data from sites or regions without excavation
epistemology
study of knowledge
artifact
an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest
ecofact
plant or animal remains found at an archaeological site
site
- found through satellite data and reconnaissance
- drone reconnaissance
primary contexts
artifacts that are found in their original position of deposition
secondary contexts
- shifted materials through a variety of modern and ancient mechanisms
- looting, stratigraphic disturbance
inorganic materials
materials that do not come from living organisms
organic materials
- living things tend to decay
- propagation of micro-organisms
- bones, teeth
- shells
ceramics and glass
- production methods vary greatly
- allows archaeologists to interpret glass as the primary source of evidence for raw materials, technology and provenance
- made from same basic method of pyrotechnology
- one uses clay, one uses silica
environments of preservation
- water: artifact killerr, essential for life, also causes decay
- works best in extreme conditions
(waterlogged environments, extreme cold, aridity)
reconnaissance
exploration to gain knowledge or information
field walking
systematically searching fields for the remains of artifacts and buildings to detect likely settlement areas
geophysical prospection methods
- noninvasive, low cost tools that can be used to study, protevt, and conserve archaeological heritage
- methods involve taking measurement of some property of the soil, such as its magnetism
- measurements are then used to create an image that can tell us something about what lies beneath
