Archaeology

• Radiocarbon dating is a technique used to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the decay of carbon-14 isotopes.
• Organic materials are things that were once living
• Site formation process is a combination of cultural and environmental factors that contribute to the formation of archaeological sites
• Items found in bogs are incredibly well preserved from chemicals and lack of O^2
• Site formation processes are a combination of cultural and environmental factors that contribute to the formation of archaeological sites.
• Taphonomy is how materials become part of the paleontological or archaeological period
• Primary Refuse- Archaeological material left at the place they were used or produced
• Secondary Refuse- Archaeological materials removed from the place they were originally used or produced to a designated refuse area ex. garbage dump
• Midden- Place where people leave trash and waste, such as a dump or landfill.
• Sex of a skeleton can be detirmined by physical characteristics such as the angle of the pelvis or the size of the skull.
• The tailbone of a male skeleton is more curved than the tailbone of a female skeleton.
• Age of death can be found by size of skeleton and teeth.
• Epiphyses- End caps of bones.
• Diaphysis- the shaft of a long bone, where the bone is thinnest
• Strontium isotope analysis can reveal info about geographic origin and migration patterns.
• Mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA can identify the geographic origins of individuals since certain halotypes are found only in certain regions
• Strontium isotope levels in bones can show where they might have been for the last decade of their life.
• Primates- humans are members of the order primates along with apes, monkeys, and prosimians.
• common characteristic primate traits: Rotating forearm, relatively large brain, forward facing eyes, grasping hands and feet
• Phylogeny- The evolutionary history of a species
• Purgatorius is considered to be a representative of the earliest primate.
• Fossils with monkey like charcteristics appear between 30-40 million years ago.
• Apelike fossils show up about 20 mill years ago.
• Ape-like fossils showed up during the miocene ages. ( 23-25 MYA) found in Asia, Africa, and Europe
• Hominiod - Primates with Apelike characteristics
• Humans are the only primates that walk on two legs, and the only primates that use tools.
• Hominin= Hominind
• Phytoliths: microscopic, inorganic particles produced by plants used to determine the age of fossils.
• Comparing bones of ancient human ancestors to those of modern humans can help us place these specimens accurately in the human evolutionary line.
• Biped = walking on two legs
• The vertebral column of a human is S-Shaped and the center of gravity is on the hips. The vertebrae on lower back is large.
• The Vertebral Column of a Great Ape is C-shaped and pushed forward. Can stand on 2 legs for short periods of time. Vertebrae on lower back is smaller
• Pelvis of a Human is short and broad
• Pelvis of an ape is long and narrow
• Derived trait- refers to a feature
• The upright provider - Allowed males to bring food back to women.
• The upright scavenger- cut marks on animal bones were always on top of animal tooth marks suggests early hominds scavenged not hunted.
• The Efficient walker- human locomotion is much more effective, as it uses 1/4th the amount of energy than walking on all fours
• The endurance runner - the human body is very well adapted to running.
• Sahelanthropus tchadensis - 7 mill years ago, found in Chad, Africa. The earliest hominin, upright walker, had ape-like features, and a small brain.