Anthropology Concepts and Techniques

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Questions and Answers

What does an earth resistance survey primarily measure?

Variations in soil density

Changes in temperature of the soil

Buried artifacts' magnetic fields

Changes in conductivity due to moisture content (correct)

Which method is used to clean archaeological artifacts by transferring corrosive salts?

Electrolysis (correct)

Experimental archaeology

Fission-track dating

Echo-sounding

What is the focus of experimental archaeology?

Analyzing submerged topographies

Studying modern cultures to understand historical behaviors

Dating artifacts using chemical solutions

Reconstructing past behaviors through controlled experiments (correct)

What type of remains does the term 'ecofacts' refer to?

Nonartifactual organic and environmental remains with cultural relevance Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of absolute dating in archaeology?

To determine age using a specific timescale Signup and view all the answers

What does fission-track dating rely on to determine the age of materials?

The constant rate of fission of uranium 238 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines 'ethnoarchaeology'?

The examination of modern cultures to understand material culture production Signup and view all the answers

Which method is specifically designed for analyzing very small samples in radiocarbon dating?

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) Signup and view all the answers

What does the archaeological study of agency primarily focus on?

The intentions and motivations of individuals in historical contexts Signup and view all the answers

In what context is 'empire' defined?

A territorially expansive state Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of echo-sounding in archaeology?

To trace submerged topographies and buried land surfaces Signup and view all the answers

Which technique involves mixing two or more metals to create a new material?

Alloying Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'archaeozoology' refer to in archaeology?

Identification and analysis of animal species from archaeological sites Signup and view all the answers

What type of object is classified as an artifact?

A portable object made or modified by humans Signup and view all the answers

Which technique is used in archaeology to identify the co-occurrence of artifacts at a site?

Assemblage analysis Signup and view all the answers

What is the accuracy range of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in analyzing artifact composition?

About 1 percent Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of laser-fusion argon-argon dating?

To determine the age of volcanic rock Signup and view all the answers

Which technique is known for using light to measure distances in remote sensing?

LIDAR (light detection and ranging) Signup and view all the answers

What type of sediments do loess sediments represent?

Deposits of wind-blown yellowish dust Signup and view all the answers

In which chronological period did the Mesolithic occur?

After the Paleolithic and before the Neolithic Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of machine learning in artificial intelligence?

To predict outcomes based on historical data Signup and view all the answers

Which calendar system was used by the Maya for everyday purposes?

The Calendar Round Signup and view all the answers

What does mass spectrometry analyze to identify chemical elements?

The weight of chemical components Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following concepts is related to Marxist archaeology?

A materialist perspective of societal development Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of heated materials in atomic absorption spectrometry?

They release light of a particular wavelength. Signup and view all the answers

What is the accuracy rate of the method mentioned before being superseded?

25 percent Signup and view all the answers

Which type of society is characterized by a hierarchy based on access to prestige and status?

Ranked society Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'refitting' refer to in archaeology?

Recombining stone tools and flakes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of remote sensing in archaeology?

To image phenomena from a distance. Signup and view all the answers

Secondary context in archaeology refers to what?

The modified location due to human or natural activities. Signup and view all the answers

In seriation, how are artifacts arranged?

Chronologically based on their similarity. Signup and view all the answers

What is photogrammetry used for in archaeology?

Developing detailed 3D models from photographs. Signup and view all the answers

What excavation method is used on very deep sites, where excavation proceeds downward in a series of gradually narrowing steps?

Step-trenching Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to a social formation defined by distinct territorial boundedness and strong central government?

State Signup and view all the answers

What technique uses the analysis of layers to assess the temporal sequence of artifact deposition?

Stratigraphy Signup and view all the answers

What is stratified random sampling designed to overcome?

Bias of localized sampling Signup and view all the answers

Which dating technique has the potential for dating periods earlier than those dated by radiocarbon?

Thermoluminescence dating Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of systemic context in archaeology?

The ongoing process involving artifacts Signup and view all the answers

What classification system established the principle of chronological ordering through artifact classification?

Three Age System Signup and view all the answers

What form of probabilistic sampling employs a grid of equally spaced locations?

Systematic sampling Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Absolute Dating

Determination of age with reference to a specific timescale, such as a fixed calendrical system.
Also referred to as chronometric dating.

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

A refinement of radiocarbon dating used on very small samples.

Aerial Reconnaissance/Survey

Important survey technique in the discovery and recording of archaeological sites.

Agency

Investigation of the diversity of human intentions, competencies, and actions in the past.
Recognizes that individuals often have different interests and motivations, shaped by their social positions or roles.

Alloying

Mixing of two or more metals to create a new material.
Example: fusion of copper and tin to make bronze.

Annealing

Repeated process of heating and hammering copper and bronze to produce the desired shape.

Anthropology

Study of humanity, including physical characteristics and culture.
Four subdisciplines:
- Biological (physical) anthropology
- Cultural (social) anthropology
- Linguistic anthropology
- Archaeology

Archaeological Culture

Recurring assemblage assumed to be representative of a particular set of behavioral activities carried out at a specific time and place.

Archaeology

Subdiscipline of anthropology involving the study of the human past through its material remains.

Archaeozoology (or Zooarcheology)

Identification and analysis of faunal species from archaeological sites.
Used to reconstruct human diets and understand the contemporary environment.

Artifact

Any portable object modified or made by humans, e.g., stone tools, pottery, and metal weapons.

Assemblage

Group of artifacts recurring together at a specific time and place, representing the sum of human activities.

Association

Occurrence of an artifact with other archaeological remains, typically in the same matrix.

Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)

Method of analyzing artifact composition, measuring energy in the form of visible light waves.
Capable of measuring forty different elements with an accuracy of about 1 percent.

Earth Resistance Survey

Method of subsurface detection that measures changes in conductivity by passing an electrical current through ground soils.
Detects buried features by differential retention of groundwater.

Echo-Sounding

Acoustic underwater survey technique used to trace the topography of submerged coastal plains and other buried land surfaces.

Ecofacts

Nonartifactual organic and environmental remains with cultural relevance.
Examples: faunal and floral material, soils, and sediments.

Electrolysis

Standard cleaning process in archaeological conservation.
Removes corrosive salts from artifacts by placing them in a chemical solution and passing a weak current.

Empire

Territorially expansive state.

Ethnicity

Existence of ethnic groups, including segmentary societies.
Difficult to recognize from the archaeological record.
Language and linguistic boundaries often correlate with ethnic groups.

Ethnoarchaeology

Study of contemporary cultures to understand the behavioral relationships behind material culture production.

Excavation

Principal method of data acquisition in archaeology, involving the systematic uncovering of archaeological remains.

Experimental Archaeology

Study of past behavioral processes through experimental reconstruction under controlled scientific conditions.

Faience

Glass-like material first made in Predynastic Egypt.
Involves coating a material with a siliceous glaze.

Fission-Track Dating

Dating method used on materials that have been heated in the past.
Based on the constant rate of fission of uranium 238.
Counts atomic tracks in the material to calculate the time of heating.

Laser-Fusion Argon-Argon Dating

Radioisotopic method that uses lasers to release and measure argon in a controlled setting.
Provides greater precision than other methods.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

Remote sensing technique, also known as airborne laser scanning (ALS).
Uses the same principle as radar.
Transmits light to a target, with some reflecting back to the instrument.
Time for light travel is used to determine distance.

Lineage

Group claiming descent from a common ancestor.

Loess Sediments

Deposits formed of yellowish dust blown by the wind.
Indicates climatic conditions and the location of early agricultural settlements.

Machine Learning

Type of artificial intelligence (AI) that improves accuracy in predicting outcomes without explicit programming.
Uses historical data as input to predict new output values.

Marxist Archaeology

Based on the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Posits a materialist model of societal development.

Mass Spectrometry

Form of analysis that identifies chemical elements by measuring their weight.

Matrix

Physical material within which artifacts are embedded or supported.

Maya Calendar

System for measuring time, comprising two separate calendars:
- Calendar Round: used for everyday purposes.
- Long Count: used for reckoning historical dates.

Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age)

Chronological period in Asia and Eurasia beginning around 10,000 years ago.
Transition between the Paleolithic and Neolithic, associated with the rise of microliths.

Metallographic Examination

Technique used in the study of early metallurgy.
Involves microscopic examination of a polished section cut from an artifact.

Optical Emission Spectrometry (OES)

Method of analyzing artifact composition, similar to atomic absorption spectrometry.
Measures energy in the form of visible light waves.
Accuracy of only 25 percent and has been superseded by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.

Paleolithic (Old Stone Age)

Archaeological period before c. 10,000 BCE.
Characterized by the earliest known stone-tool manufacture.

Ranked Society

Society with a hierarchy based on unequal access to prestige and status.
Examples: chiefdoms and states.

Refitting

Sometimes referred to as "conjoining."
Involves attempting to recombine stone tools and flakes.
Provides information about the physical and cognitive processes involved in tool creation.

Relative Dating

Determination of chronological sequence without recourse to a fixed timescale.
Examples: arrangement of artifacts into typologies or seriation.

Remote Sensing

Imaging of phenomena from a distance, primarily through airborne and satellite imaging.
Links geophysical methods with remote sensing methods applied at ground level.

Rescue Archaeology/Salvage Archaeology

Location and recording of archaeological sites in advance of development projects.

Secondary Context

Location of archaeological material that has moved from its original position of discard or deposition.
Caused by human activity or natural phenomena.

Segmentary Society

Relatively small and autonomous group, usually of agriculturalists.
Regulates their own affairs.
Occupies a shared territory, with descent from a common ancestor and shared cosmologies or ethnic identity.

Seriation

Relative dating technique based on the chronological ordering of artifacts or assemblages.
Most similar items are placed adjacent to one another.

Photogrammetry

Technique of using multiple photographs to create fully textured 3D models.

Phylogenetic Analysis

Study of the evolutionary history and relationships between individuals or groups of organisms.

Site

Distinct spatial clustering of artifacts, features, structures, organic and environmental remains.
Represents the residue of human activity.

State

Social formation defined by distinct territorial boundedness and strong central government.
Operation of political power is sanctioned by legitimate force.
Second only to an empire as the most complex societal development stage.

Step-Trenching

Excavation method used on deep sites, such as West Asian tell sites.
Proceeds downward in a series of narrowing steps.

Stratification

Laying down or depositing of strata, or layers.
Provides a relative chronological sequence, with the earliest at the bottom and the latest at the top.

Stratified Random Sampling

Form of probabilistic sampling in which the region or site is divided into natural zones, or strata (e.g., cultivated land and forest).
Units are then selected by random number procedure proportional to each zone's area.

Stratigraphy

Study and validation of stratification.
Analysis in the vertical (time) dimension of a series of layers in the horizontal (space) dimension.

Systematic Sampling

Form of probabilistic sampling employing a grid of equally spaced locations.
Runs the risk of missing (or hitting) every example if the distribution itself is regularly spaced.

Systemic Context

Behavioral system in which artifacts are part of the ongoing processes of manufacture, use, reuse, and discard.

Thermoluminescence (TL) Dating

Dating technique that relies indirectly on radioactive decay.
Overlaps with radiocarbon in the time period for which it is useful.

Three Age System

Classification system devised by C.J. Thomsen for the sequence of technological periods (stone, bronze, and iron) in European prehistory.
Established the principle that classifying artifacts could produce a chronological ordering.

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Description

Explore key concepts and techniques in anthropology, including absolute dating, alloying, and aerial reconnaissance. This quiz covers the fundamental methods used to study humanity and its diverse expressions throughout history. Test your understanding of how these techniques shape our knowledge of the past.