Exam 1 Terms & Concepts Flashcards
(51 cards)
Culture Anthropology
Archaeology
Cultural Relativism
Understanding another culture in its own terms sympathetically enough so that the culture appears to be a coherent and meaningful design for living
Ethnocentrism
Judging another culture based on your own cultural standards rather than from within the context of that culture; the opinion that one’s own way of life is the natural and correct way
Material Culture
Artifacts, architecture, and objects made and used by humans
Terra Preta
Terra preta is black in color due to its weathered charcoal content; made by adding a mixture of charcoal, bone, broken pottery, compost and manure to the low fertility Amazonian soil; a product of indigenous soil management and slash-and-char agriculture, the charcoal is stable and remains in the soil for thousands of years, binding and retaining minerals and nutrients
Chinampa
A form of raised field agriculture conducted by the Aztecs originally
Culture
A set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that are learned and shared that together form an all encompassing, integrated whole that binds groups of people together and shapes their worldview and ways of life
Pseudoarchaeology
Pseudoarchaeology attempts to explain archaeological materials without the use of evidence or by taking evidence out of context; can often be offensive and racist as it diminishes the accomplishments of ancient civilizations, instead attributing their successes to a higher power
Site
The material remains of a place inhabited in the past where people lived or carried out activities
Region
Regions are generally defined by geographic boundaries, (such as by mountains, basins, or river valleys) that often serve as natural barriers.
Excavation
Clearing a space in search of objects or structures of archaeological significance
Artifact
Any portable object or material that was made or modified by humans in the past
Ecofact
Natural remains that were used or moved by human activity or that represent human activity (domesticated plants and animals)
Research Design
Planning how archaeological data will be collected and analyzed
Sampling/Different Types
Portion of data that will be collected; systematic, random, stratified, or judgmental
Sample Units/Different Types
What portions of a site will be excavated or studied; arbitrary vs. non-arbitrary; arbitrary = random parts wil be excavated vs. non-arbitrary = culturally defined units exist so only certain parts need to be dug/excavated
Survey
The process of locating archaeological remains; ground recon i.e. field walking/total station survey or aerial or subsurface reconnaissance
Excavation
Clearing a site of dirt or covering to discover objects or structures of archaeological significance underneath
Ground Reconnaissance
Walking a field, total station survey
Aerial Reconnaissance
Looking from above can reveal features that one might now see from the ground
LIDAR
Light Detecting and Ranging; remote sensing laser used to generate models of geography; provides affordable topographic data and allows for faster planning for archaeologists; has been used to locate ancient features like roads and buildings of the Maya civilization
Total Station Survey
Measures distances and geographical aspects of a site
Subsurface survey techniques
Resistivity testing, ground penetrating radar, auguring, shovel tests, coring; resistivity detects the ability of subsurface features to conduct electricity
Test pit/trench excavations
Smaller excavations to see if a larger area is worth excavating
