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Introduction To World Archeology > Module 1 > Flashcards

Module 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Archeology

A

The scientific study of human past through traces of the past that exist in the present

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2
Q

Anthropological Subdisciplines

A

1.) Archeology
2.) Cultural Anthropology
3.) Biological Anthropology
4.) Linguistics

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3
Q

Artifacts

A

Portable objects used, modified, or made by humans

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4
Q

Features

A

Non-portable artifacts

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5
Q

Sites

A

Places where artifacts, ecofacts, and features are found together

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6
Q

Preservation environments

A

Dry environments; Cold environments; Waterlogged environments

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7
Q

Survey

A

Process of locating and demarcating archeological sites

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8
Q

Excavation

A

Structured according to survey

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9
Q

Horizontal Excavation

A

Reconstructing a specific moment in time (shallow but expansive)

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10
Q

Vertical Excavation

A

Focuses on sequence of occupation by examining stratigraphy (deep but small are). Highlights change through time

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11
Q

Stratigraphy

A

The study of rock layers and the sequence of events they reflect

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12
Q

Provenience

A

Exact 3-dimensional position of a find

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13
Q

Context

A

A find’s provenience, matrix, and association with other finds

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14
Q

Pleistocene Epoch (2.5 mya - 11,600 BP)

A

Characterised by ice age (caused increase in brain size) with glacial and interglacial periods and megafauna

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15
Q

Holocene Epoch (11,600 BP - ???)

A

Characterised by warmer climate, no rising sea levels

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16
Q

Anthropocene Epoch

A

Humans cause the primary changes to environment

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17
Q

Terraforming

A

(“Symptom” of Anthropocene) Making physical changes to the Earth

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18
Q

Technofossils

A

(“Symptom” of Anthropocene) Manmade items that become part of geological layers

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19
Q

Anthroturbation

A

(“Symptom” of Anthropocene) Digging our large sections of Earth

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20
Q

Boundary Limits

A

Thresholds that, once surpassed, there is no turning back

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21
Q

Archeological Theory

A

Perspective through which archeologists interpret data (usually socially/politically motivated)

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22
Q

Archbishop James Ussher

A

Claimed Earth originated in 4004 BC, and promoted catastrophism

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23
Q

Catastrophism

A

Theory that states that natural disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions shaped Earth’s landforms and caused extinction of some species

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24
Q

Antiquarianism

A

Collecting artifacts without proper archeology perspectives, destroying sites in the process

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25
Three Age System
Created by Christian Thomsen, consisting of the Stone, Iron and Bronze Ages
26
Uniformitarianism
Charles Lyell's challenge to catastrophism, stating past must be discussed through observable phenomena occurring in the present
27
Culture History
Practiced in the early 20th Century, and influenced by Franz Boas. Placed emphasis on classification based on cultural trait lists and had little regard for mechanisms of change
28
Processual Archeology (New Archeology)
Began in the 60's thanks to Lewis Binford, who critiqued culture history. Believed inductive approach is unscientific and focus should be on cultural change overtime/adaptation. Emphasised deduction (inferences on general law). Etic.
29
Positivist Philosophy
World is concrete and knowable through science
30
Postprocessual Archaeology
Began in the 80's to present day thanks to Ian Hodder, who critiqued processual archeology. Argued that culture is more than adaptation. Argued that archeology is not a hard science, and places more emphasis on interpreting the past. Emic.
31
Reflexivity
True objectivity is impossible and the scientist is always a part of the data
32
Etic
Approaching study from an outside, objective perspective
33
Emic
Should work to understand the past from the perspective who lived it
34
Herto, Ethiopia
Site of three 160,000 year old Homo sapiens skulls, the earliest in the world
35
Blombos Cave, South Africa
Cave site with evidence of art and Homo sapiens-style artifacts dating to as early as 75,000 years ago
36
Multiregional Hypothesis
An evolutionary hypothesis that modern humans originated through a process of simultaneous local transition from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens throughout the inhabited world
37
Out of Africa Hypothesis
The hypothesis that modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved in Africa and spread to other continents, replacing other Homo species without interbreeding with them
38
Hybridisation Hypothesis
Modern humans originated in Africa but their spread involved interbreeding and interaction with regionally distinct Archaics. There are genetic and cultural contributions from multiple regional populations
39
Neanderthals
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, a European variant of Homo sapiens that died out about 25,000 years ago, who modern humans interbred with
40
Denisovans
A newly discovered group of archaic Homo sapiens from southern Siberia dated to between 30,000 and 50,000 years ago, who modern humans interbred with
41
Upper Palaeolithic
(50,000-11,000 BP) A cultural period usually associated with modern humans, distinguished by technological innovation in various stone tool industries, as well as portable art
42
Lion-Headed Man statue
Found in Hohenstein, Germany, that demonstrates abstract and symbolic thinking
43
Venus Figurines
Faceless with exaggerated female characteristics found all across Europe. Symbolic meaning is debated, but is thought to represent fertility
44
Bone Flutes
Found at multiple sites and are made from vulture bone
45
Chauvet Cave, France
(38,000-33,000 BP) Location of earliest paintings
46
Upper Palaeolithic Cave Art
Most depict animals including deer, rhinos, bears etc., as well as stencilled hands, and abstract forms. They have many interpretations, such as hunting magic, fertility magic, shamanic trances, and mythogram
47
Sahul
landmass connecting Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea
48
Sunda
Landmass connecting much of SE Asia, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, & Indonesia
49
Wallacea
string of islands separating Sahul and Sunda
50
Mungo Lake
(Dated 50,000-60,000 BP) Spread to southern Australia within 10,000 years
51
Mungo Lady
Remains found at Lake Mungo dated to be 40,000 years old. Oldest known cremation in the world
52
Megafauna
Large mammals that were a stable of the cold Pleistocene Epoch
53
Australian Dreamtime
Aboriginal mythology that include stories about creation of sacred places, land, people, animals, plants, law and custom
54
Clovis
(15,200-12,900 BP) Thought to be the first people in America. An be identified by their flute spear points. Point of origin is believed to be Siberia via Bering Land Bridge and moved south through the Ice Free Corridor
55
Fluted Point
The characteristic artifact of the Clovis people in North America associated with large-game hunting
56
Bering Land Bridge
A land bridge between Siberia and Alaska that was exposed during the most recent Ice Age when the waters of the Bering Strait receded (sea levels decreased)
57
Ice Free Corridor
A proposed safe route that allowed the Clovis people to migrate (south) further inland
58
Evidence for Pre-Clovis
Several pre-Clovis sites have been uncovered with radiocarbon dating before 13,200 BP (Monte Verde, Paisley Cave etc.). Non-archeological evidence exists also (DNA, linguistics)
59
Solutrean Hypothesis
The proposal that the origin of the Clovis culture was in the migration of groups from Europe
60
Younger Dryas
a stadial, or colder stage, between roughly 13,000 and 11,500 years ago. The climate became colder and drier but did not return to full glacial conditions in higher latitudes
61
Dendrochronology
Tree-ring dating
62
Radiocarbon Dating
a chemical analysis used to determine the age of organic materials based on their content of the radioisotope carbon-14

Introduction To World Archeology (1 decks)

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