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Archaeology 1000 > Chapter 6 > Flashcards

Chapter 6 Flashcards

1
Q

To asses previous enviromental conditions

A

look at them globally

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2
Q

Sediment of ocean floors accumulates

A

very slowly

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3
Q

Can trace changes in enviroment through time by studying

A

o Cores taken from the sea bed
o Fluctuations in the species
Morphology of single species through the sequence

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4
Q

Oxygen isotope technique

A

Cores come from stratified sheets of ice where the oxygen isotopic composition gives a guide to climate oscillations

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5
Q

Isostatic uplift/tectonic movement

A

the weight of ice is removed as the temp rise at the end of the ice age

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6
Q

WHY is the height of a raised beach above the present shoreline not always a straightforward indication of the former sea level height

A

o The land has been raised up through isostatic uplift

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7
Q

Raised beaches

A
  • Location can be an indicator of earlier coastlines
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8
Q

Raised Beaches stratigraphy rather than vertical

A

can occur in horizontal stratigraphy rather than vertical

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9
Q

Coral reefs

A

Provides the position of previous shorelines and their organisms give info on local marine environment

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10
Q

Geoarchaeology

A

Area of study that uses methods and concepts of earth science to examine processes of earth formation and soil/sediment patterns

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11
Q

geoarchaeology aims

A

achieve the fullest possible reconstruction of the local area and set into the context of the region

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12
Q

Reconstruct glaciated landscapes is done through

A

varves, rivers and caves

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13
Q

VARVES

A
  • Receive annual layers of sediment deposited after the spring thaw
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14
Q

Thick layers in varves

A

warm years with increased glacial melt

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15
Q

Thin layers in varves

A

cold conditions with less glacial melt

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16
Q

factors that affect varve readings

A

lakes that are
too shallow
have sediments that are easily disturbed
Form varves from other factors, violent storms

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17
Q

river show rapid change through

A

Erosion
Deposition of sediments

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18
Q

why are rivers important

A

often human occupation is close to a river and provided crucial rise of irrigation agriculture and urban civilization

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19
Q

Limestone caves

A

important because it can conserve a wide range of evidence about humans and the enviroment

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20
Q

The growth of tree rings varies with the climate

A

More moisture available = wider the annual rings
Growth was slow = which implies dense local forest cover
Growth was fast = which implies light forest cover

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21
Q

can record sudden and dramatic shocks to the climate

A

Tree rings

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22
Q

Sediments

A

the global term for material deposited on the earth’s surface

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23
Q

soils

A

the life-supporting, biologically and physically weathered upper layers of those sediments

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24
Q

Geomorphology

A

study of the form and development of the landscape

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25
Q

Sedimentology

A

the physical and chemical properties of sedimentary rocks and the processes involved in their formation

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26
Q

Two aspects combine to provide a detailed analysis of the composition and texture of sediments

A

o Petrography - detailed description of rock
o Granulometry - measurement of mineral rocks

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27
Q

Petrography

A

detailed description of rock

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28
Q

Granulometry

A

measurement of mineral rocks

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29
Q

Soil micromorphology

A

use of microscopic techniques to study the nature and organization of the components of soil

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30
Q

Karl Butzer

A

Distinguished three groups of cultural deposits

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31
Q

PRIMARY CULTURAL DEPOSIT

A

Those that accumulate on the surface from human activity

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32
Q

SECONDARY CULTURAL DEPOSIT

A

Primary deposits that have undergone modification

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33
Q

examples of secondary cultural deposit

A

Physical displacement
Change of use of the area

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34
Q

TERTIRAY CULTURAL DEPOSIT

A
  • Those that have been completly removed from their original context
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35
Q

Plant studies are used to try and reconstruct

A

the vegetation that past people encountered at a particular time and place

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36
Q

Pollen analysis

A

can be applied to a wide range of sites and provides info on chronology and the enviroment

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37
Q

pollen gives ___________instead of _________

A

the idea of fluctuations in vegetation through time and an exact picture of past environments

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38
Q

Diatom analysis

A

· Diatoms are single-cell algae that have cell walls of silica instead of cellulose

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39
Q

what is important about silica

A

Silica cell walls survive after the algae die

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40
Q

Diatoms are used to identify

A

the period when lakes became isolated from the sea in areas of tectonic uplift
To locate the positions of past shorelines
Indicate marine transgressions
Reveal water pollution

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41
Q

Phytoliths

A

Minute particles of silica (plant opal) derived from the cells of plants and survive after the rest of the organism decomposes

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42
Q

where are phytoliths common

A

hearths and ash layers

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43
Q

why are phytoliths useful

A

o Produced in large numbers
o Survive well in ancient sediments
Have lots of distinctive shapes and sizes according to type

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44
Q

where do phytoliths survive

A

in sediments that are hostile to other preservation of fossil pollen

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45
Q

what can phytoliths inform us about

A

The use people made of particular plants

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46
Q

A simple presence that adds to the picture of the environment

A

phytoliths

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47
Q

Fossil cuticles

A

Cuticles are the outermost protective layer of skin (epidermis) of leaves or blades of grass

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48
Q

what are fossil cuticles made from

A

Made from cutin with different silica shapes and patterns

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49
Q

A useful complement to palynology where grass material, whole or fragmentary, needs to be identified

A

fossil cuticles

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50
Q

Rock varnishes are

A

natural accretions of manganese and iron oxides with clay minerals and organic matter

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51
Q

there is a strong correlation between _______ and their different local environments

A

relatively stable carbon isotopes

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52
Q

what provides information on changing conditions and the abundance of different plants

A

The ratios of these stable carbons found in the different layers of varnish on rock

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53
Q

first evidence used by archaeologists to characterize the climate of the prehistoric period

A

animal remains

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54
Q

different species were absent, present or abundant in certain layers would be

A

reflected in certain periods

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55
Q

Microfauna

A

Small animals that tend to be better indicators of climate and environmental changes than larger species

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56
Q

why are microfauna better at indicating climate changes

A

o They are more sensitive to small variations in climate
o Adapt better to them relatively quickly

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57
Q

what reflects the immediate environment

A

microfauna

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58
Q

what is an issue with larger animals

A

Animals killed by humans have been seen as prey and the bones cannot accurately reflect the full range of fauna present

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59
Q

Macrofauna is ideal when

A

animal remains brought by natural accident or catastrophe

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60
Q

why are macrofauna less reliable for climate changes

A

not so sensitive to environmental changes as smaller animals

61
Q

why are microfauna more reliable than larger animals

A

They accumulate naturally on a site while larger animals often accumulated through human or animal predation

62
Q

Paleofeces

A
  • Ancient dung has survived in many dry caves - contains information about fauna and flora
63
Q

what does ancient dung show

A

o Which animals were present in different periods
o What the animals ate
o Contributes to the debate on extinctions

64
Q

what do findings in pale feces show about the New World extinctions

A

Findings suggest that the New World extinctions were not cased by changes in vegetation or diet

65
Q

Big game extinctions compared across the world

A

· The big game extinctions in the New World and Australia at the end of the Ice Age had heavier losses than in Asia and Africa

66
Q

where were climatic changes more important in the Big game extinctions

A

Northern Eurasia

67
Q

where were human changes more important in the Big game extinctions

A

Americas

68
Q

what were the two sides in the big game extinction debate

A

One side believed that the arrival of people in the New World and Australia with the overexploitation of prey led to the extinction
The other view is that climatic change is the primary cause of the extinction

69
Q

what doesn’t the side of human interactions leading to the big game extinction account for

A

Does not account for the extinction at about the same time of mammal and bird species that were not obvious human prey

70
Q

what doesn’t the side of climate interactions leading to the big game extinction account for

A

Does not account for why the many similar changes of earlier periods have a lesser effect on the animals

71
Q

COMPROMISE THEORY

A

Believes that it was human overexploitation that first led to the disappearance of the mega-herbivores
This caused a change in vegetation that led to the extinction of some medium-sized herbivores

72
Q

what were other theories about the big game extinction

A
  1. The impact of a comet about 13 000 years ago = the megafaunal extinctions
    Lacking evidence that supports this theory
  2. Hyperdisease theory
    Lacks evidence that supports the idea of a single microbe being the reason dozens of unrelated species died
73
Q

gardens

A

Can be either decorative or food-producing

74
Q

what do casts of gardens show

A

o Provide details about gardening techniques
o Casts of plants that had been planted

75
Q

Land management using field systems

A

The clearest evidence comprises the various traces visible on the land surface

76
Q

what can also be a useful source of info about ancient land management

A

art and artifacts

77
Q

pollution

A

not a modern phenomenon

78
Q

water pollution

A

marked shifts from clean-water species to those that can survive in more polluted water

79
Q

when did the water pollution change occur

A

Changed occured around the 10th century CE with the Viking town undergoing rapid development

80
Q

air pollution

A

Lead levels first increased 5,500 years ago when farming increased wind-blown soils

81
Q

examples of when the lead pollution increase

A

the Greeks began releasing lead into the atmosphere from extracting silver from oars
Romans with 80 000 tons of lead produced every from European mines

82
Q

Reaves

A

bronze age stone boundary walls

83
Q

Site Catchment Analysis

A

the examination by survey, excavation, maps, and graphs of a contained area to evaluate the productivity of the resources customarily exploited by the inhabitants of a settlement, especially a prehistoric one.

84
Q

Site Exploitation Territory

A

the area around a particular site which would have been most intensively or frequently exploited for resources such as food.

85
Q

Human Impact on Island Environments can be seen when

A

settlers introduce new animals and plants to the ecosystem

86
Q

what is the impact of introducing new species to an island

A

would rapidly alter the islands irrevocably often through predation

87
Q

what was a huge killer of island environments

A

habitat destruction

88
Q

what has been shown about natural catastrophes

A

such as hurricanes and tidal waves have not affected vegetation

89
Q

Easter Island

A

Enviromental damage is unique in both its extent and cultural/social consequences

90
Q

what were the reasons for the destruction of Easter Island

A

o Transport the hundreds of giant statues across the island
o People ate the palm fruits
The Polynesian rats would have also been eating the fruit

91
Q

what did the deforestation of Easter Island lead to

A

o Soil erosion
o Lower crop yields
o Starvation
Cultural decline

92
Q

Pollen preservation in caves

A

Suitable because of their humidity and constant temp

93
Q

Pollen preservation in dry sites

A

A series of separate samples can be removed from the sections

94
Q

Pollen preservation is best in

A

acidic and poorly aerated peat bogs and lake beds

95
Q

what does lime pollen show

A

transported by insects, is from trees that grow nearby

96
Q

what does pine pollen show

A

transported by the wind, could be from hundreds of kilometers away

97
Q

effects on pollen content

A

Orientation of sites
Location of sites
Length or type of occupation

98
Q

where should pollen samples be taken

A

samples should be taken outside the site and within

99
Q

what does pollen in peat bogs show

A

preserves pollen from a wider area

100
Q

pollen found in soils away from human settlement shows

A

the local vegetation

101
Q

Ecosystem

A

a community of living organisms that live and interact within a specific enviroment

102
Q

Ecozone

A

distinct geographic area with specific groups of individuals living together

103
Q

what are ecozones also known as

A

distinct biomes

104
Q

ecotone

A

where two ecozones overlap, its the area of ecozone transition

105
Q

paleoenvironment

A

past enviromental system

106
Q

paleoclimate

A

past climate

107
Q

climate

A

long term

108
Q

weather

A

short term

109
Q

Julian Steward

A

Defined cultural ecology or what’s now environmental archaeology

110
Q

3 points made by Julian Steward

A
  1. cultures in similar environments have similar adaptive mechanisms
  2. all adaptions are short-lived and constantly changing
  3. changes alter existing cultures or make new ones
111
Q

Karl Butzer

A

Human ecology

112
Q

2 points about human ecology by Karl Butzer

A
  1. interactions between human and non-human communities are unavoidable
  2. equilibrium between human societies and the environment can never be reached
113
Q

Michael Schiffer

A

formation processes

114
Q

2 points of Michael Schiffer and formation processes

A
  1. there is a relationship between the cultural and natural formation processes
  2. creation of the archaeological record
115
Q

how can the glacial environment be reconstructed

A

through the study of isotopes

116
Q

In warm temps

A

see a shrinking of ice and glaciers - water is running back into the oceans - raising see levles

117
Q

Colder climate temps

A

ice sheets hold more ice - water is not being replenished in the ocean - drop in sea level

118
Q

18 000 years

A

Coldest climate in the glacial cycle

119
Q

what happened 18 000 ya

A

Coast line being the furthest out to the sea - open land areas that would now be underwater

120
Q

what is the Beringia

A

land mass that connected Siberia to North America through Alaska before being underwater

121
Q

why are sea level fluctuations important

A

the humans are directly engaged in the enviroments

122
Q

States that are topologically low

A

will become flooded and be underwater

123
Q

high topographical features

A

not as much flooding

124
Q

How is topography important for the reconstruction of the environment

A

need to reconstruct the original typography to see the past environment
Must locate these past coastlines - are they inland or underwater depending on the that time

125
Q

many of Herod the heat’s monuments at Caesarea are now

A

under water due to coastal processes

126
Q

but lots of Egypt will be under water because of the

A

rising sea levels

127
Q

will Alexandria be underwater soon

A

YES

128
Q

what did the major ice sheets do to the land

A

The glacier ice was moving and bulldozing the land as it expands and presses down on the land

129
Q

what was the climate like in Canada during the last Ice Age

A

Canada was inhospitable during that last Ice Age because only a few lands were glacier free and able to be hospitable

130
Q

As the glaciers bulldoze across the landscape

A

destroys anything on the surface

131
Q

THE LACK OF EVIDENCE DOES NOT MEAN

A

THE SITE WAS NEVER THERE

132
Q

Moraines

A

As the ice sheets bulldoze- lots of sediments build up

133
Q

kinds of moraines

A

Lateral - the size of the moraines
The end - final end of the push

134
Q

Based on the evidence what are the chances of sites being found in Canada prior to 16 000 ya

A

very little

135
Q

Possible paths for the peopling of North America

A
  1. People travelled down the ice-free corridor (directly through Alberta)
  2. People travelled the Pacific Coast to the USA then to Canada
136
Q

meandering river

A

the river has changed from its past morphology and location

137
Q

types of geomorphology evidence

A
  1. glacial
  2. Alluvial (flowing water)
  3. Aeolian (wind)
  4. Lacustrine (standing water)
  5. Sping
  6. Coastal
  7. Slopes (mass wasting)
138
Q

Sediments are the

A

erosion of particles

139
Q

what helps keep erosion in check

A

vegetation

140
Q

Soils development occurs in places

A

that have stability/ no erosion

141
Q

what is the O-Horizon or Humus layer

A

the layer of soil that is made from the organic matter broken down by miroorganisms

142
Q

soils are the

A

alteration of pre-existing sediments

143
Q

soils can be considered the

A

in situ alteration of a pre-existing parent material

144
Q

podzols

A

very acidic soils

145
Q

what are podzols good for preservation and bad for preservation

A

bad- bones
good- pollen

146
Q

what are podzolic good for preservation and bad for preservation

A

good- bones
bad - pollen

147
Q

what level of the soil is the movement of iron

A

the B-Horizon

148
Q

What kind of soil does Alberta have

A

not deep one that has developed over thousands of years

Archaeology 1000 (11 decks)

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