Term
|
Definition
Explanation of (past) human behavior using physical remains; relationship of physical relationship to explain human behavior
Emphasis on 'how" and 'why" questions
-How: proximate causes
-Local, specific, about the mechanics
-Why: ultimate causes
-General sense, explanation as it gathers and interprets mechanics, broad question
Derived from antiquarianism |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
-Discovery and recovery
-Analysis
-Reconstruction
-Explanation: how and why
-Middle range theory: discovery and recovery, analysis, reconstruction (Schiffer 1988, and Lou Binford) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
-What is left?
-Physical remains, formation processes
-> How do we define the archaeological record?
-> What are the basic units of data that comprise info about the past?
-> Is the archaeological record and perfect reflection of the past?
-Where?
-Survey, excavation
-> Placing physical remains within a spatial (where?) and temporal (when?) framework
-> Spatial concerns addressed through survey and excavation
-When?
-Absolute and relative time, chronology, dating methods
-> Chronology: study of time
-> Dating methods: cultural, chemical, physical, and geological techniques used to assign time to the archaeological record
-What was the environment?
-Environmental archaeology
-> Specialized fields dedicated to studying physical remains of the environments in which humans lived and interacted
-e.g., zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, bioarchaeology, sedimentology, geochemistry, coleopterology, palynology, etc..
-What did they eat?
-Subsistence, diet
-> Diet: the specific foods that are consumed to acquire energy and nutrients
-> Subsistence:
-How did they make and use tools?
-Technology, typology
-> Technology is the "interface" btw humans and the environment
-How were societies organized?
-With whom did people interact?
-How did they interact?
-Reconstruction of trade, exchange, warfare… etc.
-What did they think?
-99.9% of human evolutionary history there is no DIRECT evidence of what people thought
-Cognitive archaeology: provides a way of focusing archaeology attention on the human mind
-Who owns the past?
-Many parties claim ownership of the past. How do we determine what all claims/interpretations are true and what are the political implications?
-Claims backed up by evidence carry greater weight |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
CJ Thomsen
Stone Age
Bronze Age
Iron Age
=Sequence of changes in technology |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Observable action
Largely unique among contemporary social sciences
Archaeology uncovers physical remains of behavior...
-Portable technology, non-portable tech, abiotic and biotic remains |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Exploitation of physical remains of human past for personal gain
-Ebay
Line between antiquarianism and legitimate archaeology is fuzzy
-Elgin Marbles at British Museum plundered from Parthenon in 1803… Greeks want it back, but apparently taken by a "legit" contract. |
|
|
Term
| Archbishop James Usher's (1581-1656) "Young Earth" |
|
Definition
Provided no time for human history to be considered "changeable"
-If nothing changes there is no need to predict the future |
|
|
Term
| Charles Lyell's Old Earth |
|
Definition
Enough time for change, father of Geology
Uniformitarianism |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Processes that observe in the present also operated in the past. Erosion, earthquakes, etc.
The Alps? So big it can't be done so instantly like by Earthquake. Requires a lot of time for a small process to build Alps.
Charles Lyell |
|
|
Term
| Jacques Boucher de Perthes (1788-1868) |
|
Definition
-Stone implements with the bones of extinct animals
-Proof that humans were also part of the "Old Earth"
-Time for life-ways to have changed dramatically… enough time to change human behavior and culture.
"Antiquity of Humankind" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
-Genetics, culture, and behavior are systems that are naturally designed to change so as to increase fertility and reduce mortality.
-He provided a mechanism to explain change: geological, cultural, biological systems…
=How change occurs
-Herbert Spencer: Survival of the fittest, Social Darwinism |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) and Edward B. Tylor (1832-1917)
-Classify Techno-social-ideological-moral systems into stages
-Savagery -> barbarism -> civilization
-Adapted Herbert Spencer's Social Darwinism idea.
=Why human cultures have changed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Critical thinking = consider alternatives
-Observation, hypothesis, theory
-Physical remains -> observation
-Observation/test: information/data collected with aim of assessing the validity of hypothesis
-Hypothesis: set of predictions that should hold true of model/theory is accurate description of reality
-Theory/Model: summary of patterns and regularities of behavior
-Revision/Organization if does not work.
-Deductive: try to explain
-Inductive: try to explain with more evidence
-Science is a method. Knowledge acquired by study
-Historical science
-Only one chance to excavate a site and collect data
-Critical thinking = consider multiple alternatives
-"Heart" of archaeological theory-building is to use "multiple working hypotheses"
-Unique multiple predictions of the models, then go to observations, so reject or provisionally accept. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Studying how human pop. adapted to environments we can understand many aspects of ancient society. |
|
|
