ARCH 112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Solutrean, Meadowcroft Rockshelter, Bog
27 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Expanding Geographic Horizons
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Read Chapter 7 for Discussion of Expanding Geographic Horizons.
You will be responsible for understanding the initial occupation of
Australia and the Americas.
The Initial Occupation of Australia
Sahul - The land mass of “Greater Australia” including
Australia proper, New Guinea, and Tasmania. During Periods
of glacial maxima in the Pleistocene these three islands were
combined in the single land mass of Sahul.
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Sunda – The combined land mass of the modern islands of
Java, Sumatra, Bali and Borneo. These islands became a single,
continuous land mass during periods of glaciation and
attendant lowered sea level during the Pleistocene. (Greater
Australia)
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Wallace trench - an undersea chasm located between New
Guinea/Australia and Java/Borneo
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Anatomically modern humans arrived to Australia around
50,000 ya
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Sea level was lower--able to walk close to Australia
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Sahul and Sunda have always been separated--such unique
animals because of the isolation
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85 km gaps between islands--had to have the ability to use
watercrafts
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New Guinea 35000 ya
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Interesting Australian sites include:
Lake Mungo. This site in the Willandra Lakes region***
has some of Australia’s earliest human occupations.
Skeletons date to 40,000 ya--grave goods, ochre
that covered the body
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Tools found that date back to 50,000 ya --flake
tools
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The oldest sites are more on the perimeter--the
newer sites are found on the interior
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25,000 ya skeleton--unique burial, the body was
burned and then buried (first cremation ever found)
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Kow swamp is much more recent--has a low
sloping forehead (could be because of head
binding, to create that flat forehead)--only 10,000
ya
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Australia genome and Euro-Asian diverged around
62,000-75,000 ya
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Australia has early rock art to about 36,000 to 40,000 ya
(petroglyphs)
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Expanding Geographic Horizons - The Peopling of the Americas
Pleistocene Megafauna
Pleistocene - Geological epoch that lasted from 2.58
million to 11,700 years ago ***
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Megafauna - very large animals. Term commonly used
to describe the large, now extinct herbivores of the
Pleistocene world
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*Chapter 7, pages 243-245 presents a summary of the
settlement of the Americas
Clovis –Fluted projectile point type that dates
13,200-11,900 years ago
Stone tool technology--bifacial (two faced knifes)
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Clovis First hypothesis: suggested that the Clovis
culture (13,200-11900 ya) represents the initial human
occupation of the Americas. In recent years, several pre-
Clovis sites have been discovered.
Clovis first1)
Pre-Clovis
Pre-Clovis hypothesis: holds that human
occupation of the Americas predates 13,500
ya Clovis years ago.
There are a number of sites that appear
to pre-date Clovis including:
Monte Verde***, Chile (South
America)
Peat bog was formed--
preservations of veggies
and hides, eating plant
material--radiocarbon
dates to 15,000 ya (pre-
dates Clovis 15,000 years)
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}
Meadowcroft Rockshelter,
Pennsylvania. (United Sates)
}
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2)
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Hypotheses for route of migration to the New World
Bering land bridge hypothesis
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Today there around 85 km that separate Asia and North
America
The Bering land bridge (Beringia) was available
35,000-11,000 years ago.
15,000 km stretch of land
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Some sea bed was exposed
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Pacific coastal route
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North Atlantic ice edge (Solutrean)- There is
no evidence** to support this route.
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Ice-free corridor (Mackenzie corridor) 12,600 B.P.--humans to
migrate through upper North America towards South
America--Clovis is older--the older Clovis is found in lower
North America and the newer Clovis is seen to have been
towards the ice free corridor
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Evidence that demonstrates the relationship between Asian and
Indigenous North and South American populations includes
Physical Characteristics (example dental morphology)
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DNA evidence - mitochondrial DNA and comparison of
Y-chromosomes of living northeast Asian and New
World populations show a shared genetic inheritance
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The Anzick Site, Montana
Clovis burial that dates about 13,000 years ago. DNA
recovered from the skeletal remains confirms
relationship between Clovis and Northeast Asian
populations
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Chp 7 Australia and the Americas
Peopling of Australia and the Americas (pg. 211-257)
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
11:20 AM
Document Summary
Read chapter 7 for discussion of expanding geographic horizons. You will be responsible for understanding the initial occupation of. Sahul - the land mass of greater australia including. During periods of glacial maxima in the pleistocene these three islands were combined in the single land mass of sahul. Sunda the combined land mass of the modern islands of. These islands became a single, continuous land mass during periods of glaciation and attendant lowered sea level during the pleistocene. (greater. Wallace trench - an undersea chasm located between new. Sea level was lower--able to walk close to australia. Sahul and sunda have always been separated--such unique animals because of the isolation. 85 km gaps between islands--had to have the ability to use watercrafts. This site in the willandra lakes region*** has some of australia"s earliest human occupations. Skeletons date to 40,000 ya--grave goods, ochre that covered the body. Tools found that date back to 50,000 ya --flake tools.
