ANTB05H3 Lecture : Anthro Lecture.docx
Document Summary
Traditionally anthropologists have highlighted seven features as characteristics of civilizations: food and labour surplus controlled by elite, social stratification, a formal government, specialization of labour, monumental public works, densely populated settlements, a system of recordkeeping. Choose a human culture from the archaeological record that interests you and evaluate the. Archaeological evidence (or lack thereof) for these seven features. Your focus should be on the interpretation of material culture (e. g. , artifacts, features), rather than on written records. Material culture in terms of archaeology can consist of artifacts, built structures, human impact on the environment, garbage, stratigraphy, mortuary practices, plant remains, animal remains. Material culture is also the physical manifestation of human activities such as tools, art, and structures. As the most durable aspects of culture, material remains make up the majority of archaeological evidence of past societies. Archaeological record is the material remains of the human past and the physical contexts of the remains (stratigraphic relationships, association and other remains).
