Anthropology 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Tooth Eruption, Experimental Archaeology, Biological Anthropology
14 Dec 2016
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1500 years ago: why were human populations so successful, cultural explosion 40 - 35 kya, new tools, new materials, hunting strategies, dwellings, fire, paintings and personal adornments, changes in the brain/cognitive complexity/ language/use of symbolism. Bioarchaeologists- study human skeletal remains from archaeological sites in order to answer questions about diet, health, migration, and lifestyle in the past. May also include: hair, skin, nails, coprolites, stomach contents, tooth calculus (plaque), plant and animal remains. Before ~1950s: archaeologists were not interested in human biological remains, skeletons were often ignored, covered up, or discarded. Since the 1980s & 1990s: huge growth in the number of studies. What archaeological techniques/concepts might bioarchaeologists use to record information about human remains: context, stratigraphic excavation, datum and grid for recording 3d provenience, dating techniques. What archaeological techniques/concepts might bioarchaeologists use to record information about human remains: artifact analysis. Microwear analysis- traces on stone tool, twinned with experimental analysis what pattern it leaves, determine function.
