Intro. to Archaeology and Anthropology

1. CHW-3M1 Intro. to Archaeology andAnthropology

2. Some cartoons..

5. Intro to Archaeology Examine the following slides. From the images extrapolate as much information about the artefact(s) just by looking at them superficially. What else could you do to find out more about these artefacts?

11. Find the Site • walk around and look carefully • plowed fields (after rainstorms) have artifacts on the surface • important to note the location of surface artifacts because their distribution may be related to artifacts underneath • grid, carefully labeled collection bags • can reveal sites relative age, length of time it was occupied (campsite, village, cemetery, or other type of occupation)‏ • subject to damage from erosion or looting • good timing – erosion – luck?

12. Survey the site • record location relative to landscape • surveying usually followed by mapping – sketch maps used limited in size and little accuracy of topography • proton magnetometer reads magnetic materials in the subsurface (iron, fired clay, trenches, pits, tombs etc) – show up as magnetic a nomalies • help place archaeological units where high chance of features to be found

13. Excavation • hesitant to disturb integrity of an in tact archaeological site • all excavation requires destruction – only small amount of information can be recovered • grid drawn over the area using stakes and cord • use drafting equipment to record grid onto site map • take notes on every aspect of the operation • drawings, field diaries, forms, maps • drawn and recorded before moving

14. Equipment • shovels • towels • knives • dental picks (depending on level of care required)‏ • Brushes of different sizes and textures • Tape measures, cords, and line levels • Screens made of wire mesh and wooden frames used to sift through everything leaving the dig site

15. Stratigraphy • relation of artifacts, buried features etc, to each layer • the sequence in which successive layers of soil were built up over the archaeological deposit • age of item relative to materials higher or lower in the ground • also illustrate geological processes that have affected the site over time • can stretch over a few hundred or a few thousand years • draw profiles of the walls of their excavations

16. Artefacts • any object that was manufactures or altered by human activity • transported from site to laboratory – analyzed using a variety of techniques • stone, bone, fiber, wood, clay, metal and other materials • Lithics – made of stone • Pottery – clay is very durable once it has been fired – reveal technological and artistic developments • Precious artifacts – made of gold – an extremely rare occurrence in archaeology – existence of these treasures has led to the destruction of countless archaeological sites

17. Examples of Archaelogical Digs • http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=witOlhzl31Q

18. Famous “finds”

23. Studying Anthropology Anthropology is the study of HUMANITY. There are many subfields including, cultural, forensic, physical and social anthropology. .....the most fundamental question in the study of anthropology is...who are the ancestors of modern human beings?

24. Some basic terms and concepts to know in this unit. Hominid Australopithecene Natural Selection Bi-pedalism Relative and Absolute Dating The Human Family Tree Agricultural Revolution (Also known as the Neolithic Revolution)‏