Exam 6: Environment, Subsistence, and Diet

There are various indicators useful for the identification of domesticated animals in archaeological contexts,such as

The study of the past human use of animals is called

Ancient wood,when preserved,can be a useful indicator for understanding human use of this material,but it must be burned (charcoal);desiccated or waterlogged wood is not very useful.

The first type of remains used by 19th-century archaeologists to understand climate in prehistoric periods were

Excavations at the Boarding School site in northern Montana,carried out with help from the local Blackfoot tribe,found evidence of a typical hunting practice used for thousands of years in North America,with three layers of bones,each representing one episode.This site was a

Wood that is said to be desiccated has been preserved due to

Archaeologists working on bones from Lower Paleolithic sites found that,when looked at through a scanning electron microscope,marks on bones made by carnivores were more __________ than marks made by stone tools

Commonly found preserved in ash layers,pottery,and on stone tools and even teeth,minute particles of silica derived from plant cells that survive after the rest of the organism is decomposed are known as

Insect exoskeletons are resistant to decomposition and can be considered likely indicators of past climactic conditions.The study of ancient insects is called

Discuss the difference between individual meals and diets.How are each represented in the archaeological record? What methods do archaeologists use to shed more light on these concepts?

Diatoms are useful for identifying whether ancient bodies of water were fresh,brackish or salt,but not for finer-grained analytical questions,such as the level of water salinity or nutrient status.

The age an animal was at death is usually assessed through the study of its teeth.

Once a piece of wood is burnt and becomes charcoal it is impossible for archaeologists to even guess what type of tree it came from.

Microfauna (small animals)tend to be better indicators of climate and environmental change because

Discuss the different ways that faunal remains may be used for environmental and climatic reconstructions.Which are better indicators of climate and environmental change,microfauna or macrofauna? Why? Include in your essay discussion of the different remains that are preserved,how they are studied,and the limitations of each type.

The study of pollen grains,developed by Norwegian geologist Lennart von Post,is commonly known as

Discuss the different ways that plant remains may be used for environmental and climatic reconstructions.Include in your essay discussion of the different microbotanical remains that are preserved,how they are studied,and the limitations of each type.

Fluctuations in ancient fauna can have other causes than the influence of either climate or people.

Animal sex may be identified based on bone remains of

No domesticated plants were cultivated in North America until they were introduced soon after the arrival of colonists from the Old World.