Ch 2 Encountering and probing the past Flashcards
Ant1000 World Archaeology
A fluxate gradiometer is?
a device that
measures minor fluctuations
in the earth’s magnetic field
that may result from alterations in the soil,
ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is?
an electromagnetic pulse is aimed into the ground
‘We can break archaeological evidence down into the following categories…..
artefacts, ecofacts, and human skeletons.
What does Trace Element Analysis tell us
Determines the geographic source of the materials
through the analysis of small or “trace” concentrations of elements or chemicals in those raw materials
shows where ancient people obtained their raw materials from
through a process called trace element analysis,
Neutron Activation
Analysis is?
Is a Form of trace element analysis.
When the artefacts’ chemistry matches that of a source area, it is concluded that the ancient people obtained the material from the chemically matching source.
NAA produces a chemical signature for a raw material by bombarding it with neutrons.
X-Ray Fluorescence is a technique used for?
A technique for
identifying the chemical makeup
of a raw material.
What is experimental replication,
the process of attempting to
authentically re-create ancient artefacts,
What is Morphology:
Literally, the study of form.
An analysis of the shape and form of skeletons or artefacts.
morphology—its form, what it looked like
osteological comparative collections are?
bone libraries,
where ancient specimens can be compared to known, labelled specimens
Coprolites are?
Fossilized faeces,
useful in the
reconstruction of an ancient diet.
PALYNOLOGY is?
Palynology is the identification of plants
through the remains of their pollen grains.
What is the C3 Pathway?
The photosynthetic process employed by most trees.
In the C3 pathway,
a radioactive isotope of carbon, 13C,
is differentially filtered out.
What is the C4 Pathway?
The photosynthetic process employed by most grasses and sedges.
In the C4 pathway,
the radioactive isotope of carbon, 13C,
is in higher concentrations
than in plants that follow the C3 pathway.
Epiphyseal Fusion:
The epiphyses of each long bone join to the diaphysis during the process of physical maturation.
(EPI-FIFI-SIS)
(DY-AF-A-SIS)
Strontium isotope analysis, provides a useful way of measuring
Residential origins and migration patterns
of ancestral humans
When we are born, each of the long
bones is in three sections: What are they
a shaft, or diaphysis, (dia-fifi-sis)
two endcaps, or epiphyses. (epi-fifi-sis)
A process called epiphyseal fusion,
the shafts and endcaps fuse to one another during growth at more or less set times during our teen years;
this fusion reflects maturity and full growth
Epiphyses are
The endcaps of the long bones.
The epiphyses join at the ends of the diaphysis of each long bone.
Paleopathology is
The study of
ancient disease, trauma, or dietary deficiency.
Hominin skeletons often bear evidence of these.
Mt Vesuvius erupted when?
79 A.D August 24
- remained covered for 1500 yrs. until 1740
when workers digging a channel found the remains.
When analysing artefacts what things are we wanting to know
where the raw material came from
how the items were made
how they were used
the social context in which they were made and used
When 13C concentration is low, what dominated?
Trees
Carbon Isotope Analysis is?
the analysis of c12 & C13
in a bone or soil sample.
It is useful in dietary and environmental reconstruction
because different plants and grasses use c12 and c13 differently
Plants produce a non organic reside made up of microscopic mineral particles called?
Phytoliths (FIFA-LITHS)
microscopic siliceous particle forms by plants
Highly resistant to decomposition
unique to each plant species,
can tell what was growing in the area
what are two types of Oxygen Isotopes
16O & 18O
O16 is lighter then o18
the lighter isotope evaporates faster
