World Prehistory review 1

Question 1

Louis & Mary Leakey

Question 2

Law of Superposition

Answer 2

A basic law of geochronology states that in a sequence of rock deposited in layers, the “youngest” layers are on the top and older layers are beneath them

Question 3

Law of Association

Answer 3

Associated finds or objects refers to a close relationship between 2+ objects. Can be proven to have been deposited in the same layer at the same time. If they’re near each other, then they’re likely to have been deposited at the same time.

Question 4

3 Age System

Answer 4

Created by Christian Thomsen;
Organized collections by materials: stone, bronze, and iron. Then organized them by function. It’s the foundation for the 3 age system; still in use today.

Question 5

Extinction

Answer 5

Theory developed by George Cuvier; Research on the Fossil Bones of Quadrupeds. He believed that extinction events were caused by floods & believed that Noah’s biblical flood was the most recent.

Question 6

Boucher de Perthes

Answer 6

French archaeologist that found the 1st fossil hominid skull in 1857 (before Darwin)

Question 7

Archaeological Site

Question 8

Feature

Answer 8

constructed and immobile object

Question 9

Culture History:

Answer 9

Developed by R. Braidwood; descriptive sequence of societies
nuts & bolts of archaeology and time-space patterns

Question 10

Artifact

Answer 10

mobile object

Question 11

Culture History:

Answer 11

Developed by R. Braidwood; descriptive sequence of societies
nuts & bolts of archaeology and time-space patterns

Question 12

Seriation

Answer 12

theory developed by Christian Thomsen; essentially states that styles go in and out of fashion

Question 13

Relative Chronology

Answer 13

a measure of time—time in relation to position of space

Question 14

William Smith

Answer 14

Relative Chronology: Law of Association

Question 15

James Hutton

Answer 15

Relative Chronology: Law of Superposition

Question 16

Christian Thomsen

Answer 16

Relative Chronology: Seriation

Question 17

Absolute Chronology

Answer 17

a list/timeline of time specified by dating

Question 18

Historic Records

Answer 18

Absolute Chronology; the most accurate

Question 19

Tree-ring dating

Answer 19

Absolute Chronology; 2nd most accurate

Question 20

Radiometric Dating

Answer 20

Absolute Chronology; the most common form

Question 21

Radiocarbon Dating

Answer 21

radiocarbon decays quickly; C14 is unstable and half of it decays into N14 every 573 years. This form of dating measures the rate at which C14 decays into N14.

Faster rate = high rate of decay
slow rate = low rate of decay

Decay is measured by a Geiger counter

Question 22

BP

Answer 22

a method of noting the year; radiocarbon dates are presented in BP (“before present” years before AD = 1950)

Question 23

Artifact Style: James Sackett

Answer 23

tools may be functionally similar but style and differentiation identified in patterns and differences in manufacturing through time & between societies

Question 24

Artifact Style: Polly Wiessner

Answer 24

using the research of social psychologists, she identified the expressive nature of style. Emblematic (us) reflects group identification and Assertive (me) style reflects individual qualities.

Question 25

Pleistocene (The Great Ice Age)

Answer 25

geological period in which Homo erectus lived in—begins 1.7 mya - 11 kya.

Divided into 3 periods: Lower (1.7mya-780kya)
middle (780-126kya)
upper (126-10kya)

Question 26

Primate

Question 27

Ardipithecus Ramidus

Answer 27

fairly complete skeleton that shows habitual bipedal female w/elongated arms, fingers, and opposable big toes.

Small cranium & teeth, thick mandible, marked midfacial projection.

No evidence of sexual dimorphism.

Question 28

Australopithecus afarensis

Answer 28

Lived between 3.4-3.0 mya; small brain case, central & vertical foramen magnum, sexual dimorphism

Question 29

Lucy

Answer 29

is a 40% complete Australopithecus skeleton. she shows bipedal locomotion (angled knee) + displaced femur

Question 30

Hadar

Answer 30

is a paleoanthropological excavation site in Ethiopia. the site has some of the oldest stone tools dating back to 2.36 mya.