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Archaeology UNL Final Review

Terms in this set (150)

palaeoentomology is the study of ancient ____
insects
Pseduoarchaeological theories typically share which characteristics?
all prehistroic accomplishments completed by lost people
nothing left to scientifically study
celebrate an advanced but lost world
_____, 1st from Predynastic Egypt, is a glass-like material made by coating powdered quartz with vitreous alkaline glaze
faience
minute particles of silica derived from plant cells are known as
phytoliths
most coherent record of climate change on global scale is obtained through
deep sea cores
example of climatic cycle that has had a strong effect on human affairs in parts of the world
El Nino
phrase Gordon Childe use to describe origin and consequences of farming
Neolithic revolution
Secondary products revolution defined by the intensified use of animals for
milk and cheese
T or F: Provenience is the horizontal and vertical position of an artifact within a matrix
true
Proponents of New Archaeology argued that archaeology should do what of three things?
be deductive rather than inductive
test hypotheses
design research to answer specific questions
limited range of exchange goods that a society considers very valuabel or of high status are
prestige goods
____ describes origins of farming and the accompanied move toward settled village life
Neolithic revolution
contour maps are
3 dimensional representation of the surface
chronology and description were primary features of what initial approach to archaeology
classificatory-historical
Reasoning that goes from general logic to specific circumstances
deductive (decrease: big --> small)
Study of the form and development of the landscape
geomorphology
ethics is the science of
morals
Critics of New Archaeology argued that its proponents focus too much on
economy
due to preservation bias, ___ frequently survives best in archaeological records
stone tools
relative dating includes (3 things)
pollen dating
linguistic dating
seriation
Ecofacts include items such as
soils
T or F: Did classic Maya Suffer a single, sudden, and total collapse around 900 AD
False (many factors over centuries 1200 AD)
Julian Steward emphasized importance of environmental adaptation in cultural change. Approach termed
cultural ecology
other indicators of age of a human skeleton may be based on
skull thickness, fusion of cranial sooters, end of ribs
only controvertible evidence that a type of food was actually consumed by humans in the past is its presence in
human stomachs adn feces
why was LIDAR needed at Caracol in Belize
covered in dense tropical forest
artifacts or features described as in situ, means they are
found where they were originally used or deposited
standardized system of weights and measures usually indicates presence of
central economic system
What is NOT a common activity on most archaeology field sites
LiDAR
most traditional and most basic subsurface detection technique is use of
probes
artifact's context includes its
matrix, provenience, and association with other finds
alloying of copper with tin produces
bronze
tree-ring analysis, more water available to the tree means that there was more
wide rings
Name of term when humans alter environment by direct action
anthropogenic change
studying present-day behaviors better understand the past
ethnoarchaeology
study of vertical time dimension of a series of archaeological layers that are situated horizontally is
stratigraphy
study of patterns of wear or damage on edges of stone tools
microwear analysis
group of artifacts or building types at a particular time and place termed
assemblages
what does a "state" do
collect revenue, establish and enforce laws, establish social structure
The technique of mixing two or more metals to create a new material known as
alloying
remains of large animals found on an archaeological site
macrofauna
____ indicates that 350 copper four-handled ingots from Uluburun shipwreck may have originated in Cyprus
lead isotope analysis
19th century pioneer is organized, precise excavation and recording methods was
Augustus Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers
Opaque deposits in long bones when growth is interrupted in childhood because of illness or bone breaks
harris lines
palynologists study
pollen
immanuel Wallerstein used term ___ for economic unit with trade entworks that extended beyond their boundaries
world system
material immediately surrounding an artifact, usually sediment like gravel, sand, or clay, known as
matrix
names of two main types of aerial photographs used by archaeologists
vertical and oblique
according to class, culture is
things we think, have, do
James Hutton, author of Theory of the Earth (1785), studied stratification of rocks and identified the concept of uniformitarianism or that
the same processes were continuing in the formation of the earth as in the past
Sir William Flinders Petrie most notably credited for identifying a relative dating techniques that help place artifacts in chronological order or
seriation (sequence dating)
Many of the principal features of modern archaeology, particularly chronology and description, were established in the 19th century and continued to develop through 1st half of 20th century; initial approach to archaeology is described by Gordon Wiley and Jeremy Sabloff as
classificatory-historical
4 proponents of New Archaeology argued that archaeology should
be deductive rather than inductive, explain rather than describe, design research to answer specific questions, test hypotheses
Who created the box-grid method, method for scientifically controlling excavations and recording provenance and context
Mortimer and Tessa Wheeler
key breakthrough in scientific methods applied to archaeological questions was the invention by Willard Libby of
Radiocarbon datin
What is another term for New Archaeology
Processual Archaeology
1841 Jacques Boucher de Perthes proposed the great antiquity of humankind, based on discovery of
stone hand axes
Influenced by Darwin's ideas about evolution, Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan argued that human societies evolved through stages, from
savagery to barbarism to civilization
Critics of New Archaeology argued proponents focus too much on
economy
What are the four areas/fields of anthropology
1. Linguistic
2. Archaeology
3. Socio/cultural
4. Physical/biological
features are essentially non-portable artifacts and include such things as
postholes, hearths, floors, and ditches
inorganic objects used, modified or made by people are known as ___to archaeologists
artifacts
inorganic materials that frequently survive well archaeologically are
stone tools
4 anaerobic conditions which preserve organic material well overtime
fens, bogs, swamps, marshes
why are artifacts preserved in snow patches increasingly threatened?
snow patches are melting due to rising temperatures and changing climates
What protects most climatic effects, act as natural "conservatories", creating local climates that can promote preservation of organic remains
caves
systematic surface survey tends to be preferred to unsystematic for number of reasons, primarily b/c in unsystematic surveys there is a tendency for survey walkers to
focus on areas were artifacts are concentrated
results of surveys conducted over longer periods of time, covering the area repeatedly, tend to be more reliable because
- the accuracy of field crew observations may change through time

- the visibility of sites and artifacts may vary according to seasonal variation

- visibility of sites and artifacts can vary widely from year to year
latex rubber molds were used at site of Red Bay to record sensitive timbers in situ. This innovative technique is just one of many unique excavation and recording methods available to archaeologists working on
shipwrecks
visible differences in vegetation growth resulting from a subsurface wall or ditch affecting the availability of moisture, nutrients, or soil depths, appear in aerial photographs as
crop-marks
two main types of aerial photpgraphs used by archaeologists
vertical and oblique
drones are often used in combination with ___ to record archaeological sites from the air
structure from motion software
analysis of the vertical time dimension of a series of archaeological layers that are situated horizontally is fundamental aspect of archaeological excavation is called
stratigraphy
Underlying premise of ___ is that particular kinds of archaeological sites tend to occur in the same kind of place
predictive models
Most traditional and most basic subsurface detection technique is the use of
probes
Satellite imagery from such resources as ___ are cheap or free and is now becoming standard archaeological practice to access such images and use them in archaeological survey
google earth
law superposition means that
when one layer overlies another, the one on top is usually more recent
___ is the key to accurate recording of most survey data
mapping
a/f the process of survey, excavation, recording, mapping, and post-excavation analysis are all efforts largely wasted unless
results are published
groups of artifacts or building types at a particular time and place are termed
assemblages
examples of relative dating methods include
seriation, stratigraphy, linguistic dating
T or F: One of the most useful techniques for dating early human (hominin) sites in Africa (which can be up to 5 million years old) is thermoluminescence (TL) dating.
false - (might be radiocarbon dating)
Crew member that generally helps connect local histories, languages, and concerns to the overall goals of the archaeological project
community partner
Chinampa is
fertile land reclaimed by Aztecs by dredging mud from canals
heterarchy defined as
societal divisions based on factors other than rank
visibility and intervisibility of monuments in the landscape can be studied through use of
viewsheds
when social status or prestige are the result of inheritance or hereditary factors, known as
ascribed status
role, status, ethnicity, and gender are understood differently in different societies and regarded as
social constructs
T of F: "Bottom up" perspective in archaeology often means studying the role of the individual in society
true
study of pollen grains, developed by Norwegian geologist Lennart Von Post, commonly known as
Palynology
study of the form and development of the landscape is known as
geomorphology
A/f retrieving a core, the layers may be analyzed in two ways. 1st, scientists study the presence or absence and fluctuations of different foraminifera species. 2nd, using a mass spectrometer, they analyze the
Fluctuations in the ratio of stable oxygen isotopes 18 and 16 in the calcium carbonate of the foraminifera shells
In the field, flotaiton techniques are used to retrieve
macrobotanical remains
displacements in the plates that make up the earth's crust, often responsible for the occurrence of raised beaches are known as
tectonic movements
paleoentomology is the study of ancient
insects
sediments formed of a yellowish dust of silt=sized particles blown by the wind and redeposited on new deglaciated land or on sheltered areas are known as
loess
humans alter environment by direct action, this is called
anthropogenic change
one of the 1st ways in which people modified their living places was by
controlled use of fire
on Easter island, most isolated piece of inhabited land in world, loss of timber due to the cutting down of tress by humans resulted in
- lower crop yields
- soil erosion
- termination of stone head production
- cessation of canoe manufacture
____ is difficult to recognize in the archaeological record: features such as pottery decoration or differences in toolkits do not necessarily separate different cultural groups
ethnicity
a society that has a ruler with authority to establish and enforce laws, stratified classes, administrative officials for collecting revenue, and the practice of redistribution would be considered a
early state
Evidence for state-level society at Chinese site of Liangzhu includes
- water management system
- carved jade artifacts deposited in graves
- social ranking in cemeteries
- walled enclosure
Recovery and identification of plant remains from archaeological contexts to study past human use of plants is known as
paleoethnobotany
Analysis of Neoltihic Jomon shell mounds around Tokyo bay, Japan, recovered evidence for a variety of food remains. The seasonality of clam exploration was derived from the
daily growth lines
there are various indicators useful for the identification of domesticated animals. These attributes from archaeological context includes:
- high number of adult females (in a dairy herd)
- reduction in tooth size
- decrease in overall size
Excavations at Boarding School site in Northern Montana, carried out with the local Blackfoot tribe, found evidence of a typical hunting practice used for thousands of years in North America, with three layers of bones, each representing one episode. Site was a
bison drive site
estimates of the age at which animals were killed ar eusually based upon
eruption and wear patterns of teeth
sex of animal may be identified based on remains of
large canines, female pelvic structure, antlers, penis bone
dietary studies revolutionized through analyses of human tooth enamel and bone collagen based on
different ratios of Nitrogen isotopes
Andrew Sherrat argued Secondary Products Revolution was defined by the intensified use of animals for
milk and cheese, wool, animal traction (plowing)
archaebotanical evidence from site of Jerf el Ahmar in northern Syria suggests that
it was a site of communal feasting, not just a simple village community
Archaeologists must always remember that their artifact sample might be biased. Stone tools may be overrepresented in the archaeological record because
stone preserves better than such materials as wood
Tiny stone tools that were probably used as barbs on composite implements in Mesolithic Period
mciroliths
___ or conjoining, is the attempt to put stone tools, flakes and cores back together again, providing information on the stages involved in producing the tools and reconstructing the process of the napper's craft
refitting
although faience originated in Egypt b/f 3000 BC, true glass, in teh form of beads, was not developed until
2500 BC in Mesopotamia
T or F: Archaeologists have studied unfinished statues in abandoned quarries on Easter Island
True
Platinum was unknown in Europe until the 16th century, but was being worked in ___ as early as the 2nd century BC
Ecuador
Study of patterns of wear or damage on the stone tools, which can provide useful info on a particular tool's function, is known as
microwear analysis
inclusions in the clay used to make pottery that act as a filler, creating strength and counteracting cracking and shrinkage during firing are known as
temper
Bronislaw Malinowski described an exchange network that centered on ceremonial exchange b/w inhabitants of some Melanesian islands. Malinowski's study of this system was influential in shaping our understanding of how ___ works
reciprocity
Prestige valuables and ordinary commodities may be exchanged within the same society but in separate systems; this is known as
sphere of exchange
During 1st two centuries ad in the easter US there was an interaction sphere that included exchange of valuables such as obsidian, shark teeth, copper, flint, and other materials. This interaction sphere has come to be known as
Hopewell tradition
Study of artifacts and other material indicators of patterned actions that reflect religious beliefs is known as
Archaeology of cult
act of burial of human remains implies, at very least
some kind of respect, or feeling for the deceased
fundamental cognitive step archaeologists can examine in past human societies was:
- Development of symbols for measurements (units of time, length, weight)
- deliberate burial of humans
- development of mobiliary art
Example of symbol
money, soldier's badge, depiction of an animal on a cave wall
Most famous art objects attributed to Neanderthals is
La Roche-Cotard mask
field research concerned with estimates of various aspect of populations, such as size, density, and growth rates, based on archaeological data known as
demographic archaeology
Using CT-scan technique on Australopithecus africanus skull known as "Mrs Ples" from Sterkfontein, South Africa, Frans Zonnevold and Jan Wind determined that, based on the semicicular inner ear canals, "mrs Ples"
Walked w/ her head at a greater forward sloping angle than modern humans, implying mixed tree-climbing w/ bipedalism
Recognition of a depression running across the top of the cranium, associated w/ signs of markedly increased attachment of neck muscles to the back of the skull, has been interpreted as resulting from
carrying heavy loads using straps across the forehead
new subdiscipline of ___ has helped in recovery of murder victims as well as identified victims of mass burials and genocide
forensic archaeology
stencils of human hands found in the caves at Gargas, France, dating from late Ice Age, seem to have severe damage, in some cases suggesting all four fingers were missing. Stencils of human hands interpreted as
- kind of sign language or other symbolic system
- stencils made with fingers folded
- damage from mutilation or disease
___ is a theoretical approach developed by the "Frankfurt School" of German social thinkers. This approach stresses that all is historical, biased communication, and thus all claims to objective knowledge are illusory
critical theory
Robert Carneiro, major proponent of ___ emphasized, the importance of environmental constraints and territorial limitations to explain the origins of the state
environmental circumscription
approach that lays great stress on the search for ideas and motives of the individuals involved in the historical circumstances leading up to an event is known as
an idealist explanation
Richard Dawkins, evolutionary advocated, proposed that cultural evolution is produced by the replication of ____, the analogue of the genes that are the instruments of biological evolution
memes
research objectives of Kent Flannery and Joyce Marcus in Oaxaca region include
examination of the origins of agriculture
Experimental shell midden, excavated after year as part of the Calusa project, revealed that
birds had removed 23% of the fish and shellfish refuse
location of middens at Pineland in relation to water levels show that
Sea levels must have been lower when they were created
Excavations at Calusa site of Pineland recovered ___, indicating either direct or indirect contact with Native American groups as far away as southeast Missouri
Galena
___ is a term used to describe archaeological interpretations that are on the fringe of the discipline, but that contain beliefs that are not malicious or specifically for profit. Example is modern Druid interpretation of Stonehenge
Other archaeologies
Extravagant and ill-found stories about the past which are made up and promoted primarily for financial gain are called
pseudoarchaeology
Tomb robbing is not a modern phenomenon. As early as the 12th century bc, ___ had appointed a commission to inquire about the plundering of royal tombs.
Egyptians
NAGPRA stands for
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
er NAGPRA, if an ancient skeleton can be shown to be ____ a modern Native American or Hawaiian group, it must be returned to that group upon request
culturally affiliated with
An illegal antiquity can be defined as
object that was excavated clandestinely and which has no published record
In case of public archaeology, natural order of archaeological response to a threat to heritage (such as the construction of a road) is
survey, conservation, mitigation
Acceptance that the public and therefore both national and regional govt have responsibility to avoid unnecessary destruction of heritage has resulted in the development of
public archaeology
CRM stands for
Cultural Resource Management
1906 Theodore Roosevelt passed ___, the 1st major piece of legislation for the protection of archaeological sites in the US
The American Antiquities Act
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