Midterm 2 (5) Flashcards
What is the holocene?
Follows the pleistocene epoch and began roughly 11, 000 years ago.
When did the agricultural way of life begin?
In the holocene
What is domestication?
Refers to a relationship between humans, plants and animals in which humans play a role in the protection and reproduction of plant and animal species.
What is the Neolithic Revolution?
Term to describe the change from hunting and gathering to agriculture. Defined by Gordon Childe.
What are different theories for explanations for the origin of food production?
- Oasis Theory
- Marginal Zone Hypothesis
- Theories related to population growth
What is the Oasis Theory?
People started settlements near oases because it was the only livable place during a dry spell. This lead to the clustering of humans, animals, plants etc and lead to agriculture.
What is the Marginal Zone Hypothesis?
The best areas were filled to capacity. So they moved in to marginal zones and reproduce artificially the wild grasses and cereals.
Whittier the theories related to population growth?
Suggest that population pressure was the stimulus to the development of agriculture.
What is Archaeobotany?
The analysis and interpretation of the remains of ancient plants recovered from the archaeological record.
What are micro botanicals?
Very tiny remains of plant materials of pollen and phytoliths
What are pollen?
Gametes of the male reproductive part.
What are phytoliths?
Inorganic silica bodies. Can identify the plant from analyzing the phytolith.
What are the evidences of domestication?
- Geography
- Mean seed size
- Seed morphology (rachis, seed coat)
- Animals (osteology, population)
How is geography an evidence of domestication?
Plant and animal remains appear abruptly where they are not known to have grown to lived naturally.
How is mean seed size an evidence of domestication?
People select plants that produce larger seeds.
How is seed morphology an evidence of domestication?
- Development of a predominance of non-brittle attachments (rachis) of seeds in plants harvested by ancient people.
- Domesticated seed coats are often thinner than those of wild plants.
Why are domesticated seed coats often thinner than those of wild plants?
Thick seed coats delay germination, so the plants are often smaller. We want the bigger plants.
What are evidence of domestication with osteological changes of animals?
Lightly constructed bones of otherwise wild animals are found in archaeological contexts. Animals were probably penned by humans throughout their lives.
What are evidence of domestication with animal population characteristics?
When an overabundance of the bones of subadult males is found at an archaeological site. This may indicate that people had a control over population than in the wild. (Keeping females longer so have babies, so killing off males early would be ok).
What was the first domesticated animal?
Dogs, 12, 000 kya.
Why were wolves/dogs tolerated to ancient peoples?
If they were friendly and curious, they would likely survive. They could aid in hunting and warning of predators coming.
When did cats become domesticated?
Around 4000 years ago in egypt. The cat diverged about 10, 000 kya from smaller african wild cats.
What is the fertile crescent?
A crescent shaped region extending from mediterranean… Textbook.
Who are the Natufians?
Collector type hunter gatherers who established permanent settlements in parts of the Near East after 15, 000 to 12, 000 kya. Had pits in their settlements for extra grains etc.
