ANTH100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Radiocarbon Dating, Radionuclide, Taphonomy

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH100
• Professor: Maria Liston

Document Summary

Define paleoanthropology and discuss what we can learn about the past from fossil evidence. Discuss what the archaeological record can tell us about past societies. Discuss the basic techniques used to locate archaeological sites and fossil localities. Compare and contrast how archaeologists and paleoanthropologists date their discoveries. Discuss the challenges of interpreting the past and how these are overcome. Antiquaries: collectors who place solids on shelves to look at with little or no interest in where they have come from or what the artifacts and their associated materials might tell about the people who produced them. Antiquarian collections often incorporated many different items in addition to fossils and archaeological materials. Olaus wormius - included uniquely shaped stones, seashells, ethnographic objects and curiosities from around the world. These objects were not analyzed or interpreted to shed light on the evolution of life. Ancient coins, metal artifacts, and jewelry were recognized.