Archaeological basics
Survey and excavation
Formation processes
Plants, animals, people
Ethics in archaeology
100
True or false: Every site is typical of the entire settlement system.
False - no single site is typical of the entire settlement system
100
True or false: the archaeological record refers to physical evidence of past human activity, consisting of artifacts,
ecofacts (natural materials that provide information about human activities), features, and structures, along with their context
it's true
100
True or false: animal burrows are an example of cultural formation processes affecting the archaeological record
false - animal burrows are considered a noncultural/environmental formation process
100
What are phytoliths?
"plant stones" - microscopic silica nodules found in some plant tissues
archaeologists study them as evidence of past environmental contexts and human activities, like agriculture or foraging
100
What is NAGPRA?
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) (25 USC 32) and associated regulations (43 CFR 10) governs the return of Native American remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants, culturally-affiliated Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
Through the provisions of NAGPRA, the federal government acts to treat the remains of Native ancestors and their belongings with dignity, and to return them to their communities with respect for their customs, religion, and traditions.
200
What are the four subfields of anthropology?
Cultural anthropology
Linguistic anthropology
Biological anthropology
Anthropological archaeology
200
What is the difference between an artifact and a feature?
Artifact - object made or modified by humans
Feature - non-portable element of an archaeological site made or modified by humans
200
What is stratigraphy?
The study of the layers that accumulate at archaeological sites and the archaeological record
200
What term refers to the animal bones recovered from an archaeological site?
Faunal assemblage
200
Describe some of the goals of community-based archaeological projects.
Utilize a community-based, partnership
process
Aspire to be participatory in all aspects
Build community capacity
Engage a spirit of reciprocity
Recognize the contributions of multiple knowledge systems
300
Name an example of an absolute dating technique used in archaeology.
Two examples: tree-ring dating (dendrochronology) and radiocarbon dating
300
Why do archaeologists dig square holes when excavating?
Square holes allow archaeologists to use grid systems to systematically record, measure, and map features, artifacts, stratigraphy, and other observations about the archaeological record
300
Give three examples of cultural formation processes.
Many - examples include: Discard of broken items, accidental loss, ritual depositions, reuse, scavenging (by people), looting, reincorporation of abandoned structures, trampling, plowing, digging pits/foundations
300
What is enamel hypoplasia and what can it tell us about people in the past?
Grooves or pitting in tooth enamel caused by pauses in the normal process of tooth growth
Indicates disease and/or malnutrition in childhood. At population level, could indicate famine or disease outbreaks.
300
What are some of the ethical issues surrounding the use of lidar in archaeology?
Ethical issues around data ownership and access - should it be open access? What to do about potential looting risks?
“Lidar elites” vs. “new colonialism”
Different stakeholders have diverse and often conflicting views about this
400
What is an archaeological site?
Any place where material evidence exists about the human past; usually a concentration of such evidence
400
Name two examples of surveying methods used in archaeology.
Many - examples include:
Shovel testing
Pedestrian survey
Magnetometry
Soil resistivity
Ground-penetrating radar
Lidar
400
How was ethnoarchaeology used to investigate formation processes of Icelandic turf houses (Milek 2012)?
Studying abandoned 19th and early 20th century turf houses in Iceland to understand formation processes in Viking Age turf buildings
Comparing oral histories of how rooms were used with micromorphological analysis of floor deposits in the rooms
found that floor layers were dominated by residues from floor maintenance practices, not activities associated with room function
400
How can isotope analysis be used in archaeology?
Many applications, including:
Diet reconstruction
Migration / mobility patterns
Domestication of animals
Environmental context
400
Describe the Ifugao Archaeological Project and explain why it is a community-based archaeological project.
Ifugao rice terraces- Previously believed to be 2000 years old
IAP findings suggest that their construction actually coincided with the arrival of the Spanish, ca. 1600 CE
Archaeologists actively involved stakeholders in the research process to resolve discomfort around this discovery and its implications for Ifugao identity
Community partners took the lead in disseminating information to descendant groups
Archaeologists participated in local customs and center Ifugao oral histories and traditional knowledge alongside archaeological science in research
500
What is low-level theory in archaeology? Give an example.
Low-level theory is the most basic level of archaeological interpretation - starts with archaeological objects and generates relevant facts or data about those objects
Material, length, width, thickness, color, mass, etc.
500
Use stratigraphy to explain why the "medieval pit" must be older than the "19th century wall."
Law of superposition
Top of the medieval pit shows the floor level when it was dug
Medieval floor level is disturbed by ditch/fill used to lay the foundation of the 19th century wall
500
How was ethnoarchaeology used to investigate formation processes in Maya houselots (Hutson et al. 2007)?
Mapping trash in modern abandoned houselots to see what patterns emerge in artifact distribution, so as to reconstruct activity areas in ancient Maya houselots
500
What is MNI and how is it calculated?
Minimum Number of Individuals – estimates the smallest number of individual animals represented by a faunal assemblage. Identify the most frequently occurring skeletal element to establish the lowest possible count of animals.
E.g., If you have MNE of 6 for femurs and MNE of 8 for tibias of a given animal, MNI is 8.
500
Describe the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project and explain why it is a community-based archaeological project.
36 Ancestors of African descent were identified in an unmarked 18th century burial ground during construction in Charleston. Archaeologists worked with the local African American community to ensure that the ancestral remains would be studied respectfully and ethically, and then be reburied in a culturally meaningful way.
Arts and education programs, community conversations, collaborative DNA and bioarchaeological analysis, Yoruba Naming Ceremony, reburial procession and ceremony