DOING ARCHAEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Chapter 4

Research Methodology Paleontology – the study of ancient life through analysis of the fossil record Used by archaeologists and physical anthropologists (often collaboratively) to study artifacts and/or fossils Identify human behaviors through examination of the physical Palynology – study of ancient plant life through pollen samples Used to determine environment during occupation Phytoliths – inorganic microscopic crystals found in plants Residue stuck to tools Changed views on what tools were used for Remote Sensing – Use of aerial photos or satellite images Reveals patterns not visible on the ground Nazca Lines, Peru

Studying the Past Physical Anthropology and Archaeology Interest in reconstructing human past Paleoanthropology - study of hominid, hominin, and human life Paleontology and physical anthropology focus on the fossil record Fossils – remains, traces, and impressions of ancient life Teams on paleoanthropological studies include: Paleontologists, physical anthropologists, archaeologists, geologists, palynologists, physicists, and chemists (dating)

Survey and Excavation Regional and Local Systematic Survey – study of settlement patterns over a large area Distribution of sites within a region Population information Density Subsistence Trade and warfare Where? How? What? How Old? Full-coverage survey isn’t always possible Impassable land Denial of permission

Survey and Excavation (cont’d) Excavation – digging through the layers (strata) of a site Dating and ordering the strata is essential to archaeology and paleontology Digging is very expensive Only dig where there are research questions that need answering CRM Prior to excavation Site must be mapped and gridded Test pit to determine a good spot to begin Digging may be arbitrary or by strata Flotation – using water on the soil Carbonized plat remains float Bones and other remains sink

Dating the Past When remains settle, chemical composition must be right for fossilization Silt, Gravel, Sand, Ash Swamps, Floodplains, Deltas, Caves Taphonomy – study of processes that effect dead animals up until their discovery as fossils Discovering fossils Erosion Settlement Engineering projects

Types of Dating Relative – establishing a time frame in relations to other material in the strata Use of stratigraphy – science that examines how earth’s sediments accumulate in layers Fluorine absorption analysis - absorbed fluoride in bone can be measured against other bones in the strata Piltdown hoax Absolute – establishing date in numbers or ranges Radiometric Techniques Carbon-14 - measuring the amount of 14-C from a dead plant or animal can be used to calculate time of death. Less dependable for items over 40,000 years old Potassium-Argon dating – measuring the breakdown of potassium into argon gas The older the item, the more accurate the methodology becomes Dendrochronology – tree-ring dating Wide rings in wet years, narrow in dry Trees in a region can be compared and charted back through time Ring patterns can be cross-dated Limited to certain tree species Fir, oak, pine, juniper, boxwood, yew, spruce, and occasionally chestnut

Molecular Anthropology DNA comparisons to determine evolutionary links and distances Use data to reconstruct waves of migration Unveil haplogroups – biological lineage defined by a group of genetic traits Can be used to describe populations genetically Are often geographical in nature Often examine the Y-chromosome or mitochondrial DNA

Kinds of Physical Anthropology Bone Biology – study of bone as biological tissue Genetics, cell structure, growth and decay Paleopathology – study of disease and injury in skeletal remains Forensic anthropology Assisting coroners, medical examiners, and law enforcement Anthropometry – the measurement of human body parts and dimensions Done on living people and skeletal remains Primatology – scientific study of primates Physical anthropology with sociocultural ties In zoos and natural settings Useful in understanding early human behavior

Ethics in Anthropology Importance of informed consent People being studied, or landowners of sites, must be informed about the nature and possible impact of the study Important in all aspects of anthropological fieldwork AAA Code of Ethics Anthropologists have responsibility to their scholarly field, to the societies they study, to the human species, and all species of animals on earth.