Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

arch 101 > Module 8- Cognitive Archeology > Flashcards

Module 8- Cognitive Archeology Flashcards

1
Q

Cognitive archaeology

A

Attempt to understand past human behaviours motivated by ideas, rather than physical necessity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Supernatural

A

Culture-specific concepts about existence beyond the living world of the earth, such as deities, spirits, an afterlife, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Belief

A

Culture-specific ideas about how the cosmos work, the presence of deities, spirits, and so on

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Ideology

A

Culture-specific beliefs about how the cosmos should work and the role of humans, etc., within this

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Ascending scale of difficulty

A

Suggested by Hawkes, the idea that certain aspects of past societies will be more difficult than others to understand through archaeological research

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Emic

A

Insider’s perspective on culture as a participant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Etic

A

Outsider’s perspective on culture as a non-participant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Human cognition

A

Ability to think, reason, understand

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Cognitive ability

A

Degree of cognition available to different human ancestors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Analogy

A

A form of inference by comparison

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Analogous reasoning

A

Using comparisons to understand behaviours, functions of material objects, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Function

A

The use or purpose of certain material objects within a society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Form

A

The shape or appearance of certain material objects within a society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Symbol

A

Object or act, verbal or non-verbal, that (by cultural convention) stands for something else, with which it has no obvious connection

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Symbolism

A

The way in which symbols (verbal or non-verbal) were used by a past society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Uses of symbols

A

Multitude of different functions of symbols within a society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Expressions of abstract concepts

A

Using symbols to represent ideas that do not necessarily have any physical form or expression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Cultural grammar and grammatical rules

A

Culture-specific rules about how symbols are to be employed, when these are considered appropriate and inappropriate, meaningful and not-meaningful, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Ritual and ritual behaviours

A

The idea that human behaviours directed at the supernatural can effect the outcome of mundane activities on earth (such as gaining assistance in finding good hunting grounds, having an abundant crop yield, etc.).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Ritual as symbolic behaviours

A

Idea that behaviours themselves can stand for something unrelated, like any other symbol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Burials as symbols

A

idea that intentional burial of the dead represents abstract concepts (such as an afterlife) or can re-create aspects of the life of the deceased (such as including objects within the burial that are related to their role in life)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Shaman, shamanism, shamanic behaviour

A

Ritual practitioner who enters an altered state of consciousness as a means of entering the spirit world to intervene with the spirits on behalf of the human community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Priest

A

Ritual practitioner typically associated with a particular deity or temple to a deity; priests do not enter altered states of consciousness or interact directly with deities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Do shamans exist?

A

Rhetorical question posed by some anthropologists about whether shamans are real ritual practitioners or simply the creation of other anthropologists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Ecstasy

A

Literally a state outside of normal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Ecstatic state of consciousness

A

State of consciousness outside of normal, such as a trance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Spirits, supernatural world

A

Common belief in beings that are not part of the everyday world

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Death and rebirth

A

Common theme in belief systems and myth – individuals are killed and then reborn, often as something better / more powerful than they were during life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Spirit quest

A

Quest undertaken by apprentice shamans attempting to find their tutelary (guardian, teacher) animal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Wounded healer

A

Term used to describe shamans because (1) they heal the sick or wounded and (2) because they have been wounded or sick themselves and survived

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Altered state of consciousness

A

a state outside of normal, such as a trance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Technique of ecstasy

A

Ritual ways of reaching a state outside of normal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Ritual performance

A

Undertaking ritual activity, at least in part, for the benefit of an audience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Shamanic flight, soul flight, spirit flight

A

Concept that shaman travels into the spirit realm by flying / falling / swimming / dancing; different cultures use different names for this concept

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Multiple planes of existence

A

Idea that the cosmos is divided into different levels (3 is the most common), such as the underworld, the living world (of humans) and the sky world

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Axis mundi

A

Link that connects the different planes of existence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Cosmic tree, sacred tree, sacred mountain

A

Widespread concepts of the physical manifestation of the axis mundi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Moving between worlds

A

An ability possessed by shamans, but not by average people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Hardships to bring about altered states of consciousness

A

Behaviours sometimes undertaken by shamans to achieve an ecstatic state; may include prolonged exercise, prolonged periods of fasting, sleep deprivation, etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Divination

A

Ability to predict the future

.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

clairvoyance

A

Ability to communicate with the spirit world

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

Recovery of lost souls

A

Ability to intervene with the spirit world to assist those who died and have restless spirits (often causing problems among the living)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Healing

A

Shamans are capable of assisting the sick or injured back to health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Animism

A

Belief system underlying shamanism – that spirits inhabit all aspects of the cosmos including animate and inanimate objects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Mental illness

A

Culturally defined illness, common among people who become shamans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Social outcast

A

One who does not fit well within society; common for people who become shamans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Magico-religious practitioner

A

Generic name given to shamans, mediums, witches, etc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Shamanic sacra

A

The “toolkit” employed by shamans for ritual activity; can also include sacred spaces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Shamans versus priests versus mediums

A

Different types of magico-religious practitioners. Shamans interact directly with spirit realm; priests do not interact with spirits or deities; mediums are controlled by spirits or deities

50
Q

Shamanic state of consciousness

A

Altered state of consciousness experienced by shamans when they will enter the spirit realm

51
Q

Psychotropic plants

A

Plants that produce hallucinations and other reactions when injested

52
Q

Entopotics

A

Geometric shapes often seen by shamans during altered states of consiousness

53
Q

Tobacco and nicotine intoxication traits

A

Tobacco is a common psychotropic plant; nicotine intoxication (overdose of nicotine) results in the loss of colour perception in vision (except for yellow)

54
Q

Peyote intoxication traits

A

Vision filled with vivid, dayglow colours, typically lacking greens

55
Q

Datura intoxication traits

A

Severe reactions, including violent convulsions, ability to see and speak with the dead, inability to see normally

56
Q

Rhythmic sounds, noisemakers

A

Believed to be common methods for inducing altered states of consciousness; noisemakers include drums, bells, whistles

57
Q

Hallucination

A

Vision seen only by certain individuals, often induced by psychotropic plant injestion

58
Q

Liminal state

A

A state between two phases of being, such as between liquid and solid; usually considered dangerous for people, as outcome is unpredictable

59
Q

Tutelary animal

A

Animal that assists shamans, helps them to build relations with spirits, etc.

60
Q

Guardian spirit

A

A form of tutelary animal

61
Q

Shamanic sacra

A

Physical manifestations of shamanic rituals, the tools used by shamans

62
Q

Ritual space

A

Locations where rituals are performed, often believed to have special powers (caves are common)

63
Q

Portal

A

“Doorways” or entry ways, sometimes symbolic, sometimes perceived as actual ports of entry into the spirit realm

64
Q

Triboluminescence

A

Rocks (such as quartz) that retain energy and will “glow” if rubbed together

65
Q

Art

A

Difficult to define, typically explained as the presence of depictions (abstract or naturalistic) or artifacts that have no obvious function in the eyes of archaeologists

66
Q

Portable art

A

Artworks that can be easily transported

67
Q

Etched clamshells from Trinil

A

Possible examples of art from 500,000+ years ago

68
Q

Homo erectus

A

Direct human ancestor dating as early as ~2,000,000 years ago

69
Q

Bilzingsleben

A

Site in modern Germany famous for a piece of etched bone, possibly an example of abstract portable art

70
Q

Blombos Cave

A

Cave site in South Africa famous for an etched piece of ochre (mineral pigment), possibly an example of abstract portable art

71
Q

Ochre

A

Mineral pigment often used in creating paints; can be red, yellow, orange, and similar colours

72
Q

Entoptics

A

Geometric images often seen by shamans during a state of trance

73
Q

Aurignacian culture

A

Upper Paleolithic culture (archaeologically defined) from western Europe; known for cave paintings and portable artworks

74
Q

Aurignacian animal carvings

A

3-D representations of animals, often with entopic-type markings, from Upper Paleolithic Europe

75
Q

Lion-Man of Hohlenstein–Stadel Cave

A

3-D carving of a figure that is half-human, half-lion from cave site in Germany

76
Q

Venus figurine

A

Generic name given to numerous examples of human figurine; all are female, usually corpulent and large breasted, lacking facial features

77
Q

Dolni Vestonice

A

Archaeological site in Czech Republic, famous for portable artworks, including Venus Figures

78
Q

parietal (wall) art

A

Non-portable art depicted on walls (often inside caves); earliest examples are painted, but some later examples are etched into the walls

79
Q

Sulawesi cave art

A

Early cave art from island SE Asia, dated to ~40,000 years ago

80
Q

Lascaux

A

Cave art site in France

81
Q

Altamira

A

Cave art site in Spain, famous for depictions of bulls

82
Q

Chauvet

A

Cave art site in France, famous for overlapping depictions of the same animal; argued by some to represent early animation

83
Q

Oil lamps, fire

A

Only means of bringing artificial light into caves

84
Q

“Dark areas” with cave paintings

A

Areas in caves where natural sunlight would never penetrate (due to positioning within the cave), often found with paintings; creation of paintings would require use of artificial light (fire)

85
Q

Handprints, positive and negative

A

Common depictions in parietal art. Positive handprints produced by applying paint to the hand and applying the hand to the wall. Negative handprints produced by placing the hand on the wall and blowing paint over the hand; removing the hand leaves a negative print

86
Q

Transformation

A

Changing from one form to another

87
Q

Shapeshifter

A

Common descriptive name for individual who can transform from one form to another, often from human to animal (and back again)

88
Q

Animation

A

Illusion of movement through use of static images

89
Q

Sympathetic magic

A

Idea of using rituals to influence outcomes; for example, depicting a successful hunt in a painting will result in a successful hunt in real life

90
Q

Binary opposition

A

Concept of opposites at the furthest possible extreme: life-death; dark-light; day-night, etc.

91
Q

Structuralism

A

Theoretical framework in anthropology (also linguistics) that attempts to understand the workings of cognition; anthropological structuralism focuses on binary oppositions

92
Q

Claude Levi-Strauss

A

French anthropologist who created structuralism

93
Q

Noam Chomsky

A

Linguist who explained how the “deep structure” of structuralism (different conceptually from Levi-Strauss) underlies language

94
Q

Deep structure

A

Linguistic concept: the underlying though process that – through the application of cultural rules or “grammar” – produces concepts that can be understood by others

95
Q

Surface structure

A

“finished product” of the application of grammatical rules to ideas from the “deep structure”

96
Q

Calendric rituals

A

Rituals relating to specific times of year, often the solstices and equinoxes

97
Q

Archaeoastronomy

A

Study of evidence for a concern with astronomical phenomena in the past, especially seen in architecture

98
Q

Constellations

A

Patterns of stars recognized by humans; these vary from culture to culture (although they are largely standardized in modern society)

99
Q

Alexander Marshack and the lunar calendar bone

A

Famous bone artifact that appears to depict the different phases of the moon over the span of a lunar month (~29 days)

100
Q

Göbekli Tepe, the “comet swarm” and the Younger Dryas

A

Archaeological site in Anatolia; “comet swarm” is a description given to a particular carved stela from Göbekli Tepe, argued by some to depict comets approaching earth. Younger Dryas is the name given to a global cooling phase ~13,000 years ago, possibly brought on by comet impact to the earth (highly controversial)

101
Q

Stonehenge

A

Most famous stone circle in Europe

102
Q

Sarsen Circle

A

Famous circle of upright stones at Stonehenge; sarsen is a local sandstone

103
Q

Lintels

A

Horizontal connecting stones in the Sarsen Circle at Stonehenge

104
Q

Offerings, caches

A

Deposits considered to be gifts to the deities; called “caches” by Maya archaeologists

105
Q

Ritual deposits

A

Any deposit relating to ritual behaviour

106
Q

Sacred

A

The realm of the supernatural, spirits, deities

107
Q

Profane

A

The everyday world, realm of humans

108
Q

Ceremonial trash

A

Name given to ritual items that have been worn out through use

109
Q

Sacrificial object

A

Name given to ritual objects that are deliberately broken as part of ritual

110
Q

Kratophany

A

A powerful fear of the sacred

111
Q

Kratophanous object

A

Ritual objects that are deliberately destroyed because of stored powers from ritual use; objects too dangerous for the uninitiated to handle due to their ritual powers

112
Q

Transformation ritual

A

Ritual that transforms something into something else – liquid to solid, for example

113
Q

Transformation mask

A

Mask used in rituals to help people visualize transition from one thing to another. For example, mask may permit the wearer to change from a human to an animal

114
Q

Maya caches

A

Deposits that represent the aftermath of ritual or sometimes offerings to the spirit realm

115
Q

Exterior vs. Interior cache placement

A

Maya archaeology: primary distinguishing characteristic (or sorting characteristic) for understanding ritual deposits, based on whether a large audience was potentially present to observe the ritual and placement of cache

116
Q

Stingray spines (stings)

A

Toxic marine items argued by some Maya specialists to have been used as ritual blood letters

117
Q

Marine toxins

A

Venoms and other poisons associated with marine animals; many marine objects from Maya caches had highly toxic venom when they were alive

118
Q

Tetrodotoxin

A

Neurotoxin found in certain parts of the pufferfish; injestion by humans can result in death or near-death symptoms

119
Q

Reanimation

A

Concept of bringing a dead entity back to life

120
Q
A

arch 101 (10 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions