ANTH 1102 1nd EditionExam # 2 Study Guide Lectures: 14 - 27Lecture 14 (October 1)The Human Diaspora and the Origins of AgricultureUntil 10 KYA, we were all “pure” foragers:Foragering is a type of hunting and gathering, but more inclusive of marine resources“Pure foragers” had no agriculturePaleolithic Era = “Old Stone Age” 2.6 MYA-10,000 YA- Overlaps with late Pleistocene- Began when H. habilis created first hand tool 2.6 MYA- No “pure hunter-gathers” left on EarthModern foraging is nothing like foraging in the Paleolithic:Modern foragers are…- Politically disenfranchised people- Grow crop as other means of lifestyle than “pure” foragersReasons for Modern Hunter-Gathers:- Not “living fossils”- Live in states; but have no rights- Market economy participants- Adaptive in tough environment- Important to identity- Coping with poverty and discriminationAgriculture is a recent practice in human history, so is changing the phenotypes of plants and animalsThe “Neolithic Revolution:” Origins of Agriculture Prefaced by three BIG trends/changes1. The peopling of the Earth (global human diaspora)2. Climate change  changes in subsistence and settlement patterns3. Adaptation through domesticationGlobal Human Diaspora:The global spread of humans in the Paleolithic (50 KYA-10 KYA). Megafauna were on the move too near the end of the last glaciation. At least 3 waves of migration into the New World by Bering Land Bridge; lots of gene flow was occurringPeopling of the Americas:By 13 KYA, Paleoindians and Clovis (and other) technology are widespread throughout the Americas. People hunted Megafauna and the Clovis created “rippling” stone tools.Changes in the Mesolithic:Mesolithic = “Middle Stone Age”- Dates vary depending on location- Climate change, subsistence, and the broad-spectrum revolution of the Mesolithic 12,000 YA: Glaciers receding and sea levels rising Drastic climate change  changing ecosystems Broad-spectrum of food resource—forest, animals, birds, fish, plants (all exploited by humans)- More specialized tools and weapons are made for a broad-spectrum subsistence (by grinding not flaking)- Permanent and semi-permanent dwellings appear- End of nomadic speciesOrigins of Agriculture: Neolithic RevolutionsNeolithic = “New Stone Age”- Global transition from foraging to dependence on domesticated plants and animals- Increasing settlement size- Emerging hierarchical societies- Fine, polished Neolithic stone tools and axes- Massive burnings of forests, stones for houses, etc. = changed environmentDomestication is the evolutionary process whereby humans modify the genetic makeup of a population of plants or animals For example, dogs (12,000 YA) were the first domesticated animals (domesticated wolves)Domestication made animals…- Safer, easier to harvest- Members may be unable to survive or breed outside of human assistanceEvidence of Early Domestication:- Ex. Wild Teosinte and Domesticated Maize Increased size of plant, seeds, and fruit Loss of natural seed dispersal Changes in pattern of seed germination- Ex. Wild and domesticated sheep Selective Breeding Altered sex and age ratios Decreased natural defenses Increased size itself or of body partsNeoteny is when adult things have baby characteristics; for example, the Silver FoxLecture 15 (October 3) Film “Bones of Contention”Native Americans vs. Archeologists:In 1976, the 1st law in America was passed protecting Indian Burial sites- Consequence: Archeology is crippled by this law- Native Americans argue that, “People have the right to stay buried,” so they wanted all previous bones that had been collected by archeologists to be returned to tribes- The Smithsonian Agrees to do this in 1989 However, they lost a very valuable database And reburying the bones would be like reburying the pastStudying the bones:The remains were collected from mounds and studied before the law was passed- Some had tried to figure out level of intelligence between races by skull structure In return, 4,000 skulls were collected for study- The bones had genetic markers, so they could be determined as Native American Determined tribe by skulls in order to send remains back to tribes The native Americans disapproved: they were angry at “scientific relationships;” rather, they would uses their senses to determine it- Through paleopathology, the bones were able to “retell stories” by bone diseases Tracing the origin and transmission of diseases Ex. Native Americans that lived by the Tennessee river were found to have signs of rheumatoid arthritis Looked at ancient bacteria Help address current help problems Lakota still see no benefit in doing this- Bones were also the clues to how Native Americans spread across the continent The remains could allow archeologists to understand migratory paths taken by Natives into North America through tracing genetic defects visible in bones Native Americans disregarded the idea of migration; they believed they were created on their landConclusion:The film contrasts the disparate ideas of the Indians and some archaeologists. However, some archaeologists have chosen to uphold Native Americans rights. Some study the remains to allowNative peoples to reclaim important parts of their history. The bones were studied and scientists offered their results in a beneficial form to the tribe, then the remains were reverentlyburied. There is an emotional impact on the Native American descendants when the burials are being dug up and inspectedMain three perspectives:1. Scientists that argue the bones comprise important scientific data advantageous to Native Americans and their history; must be preserved 2. Native Americans who disregard the scientific way of thinking and do not want to allow their ancestors to be apart of a scientific study; want their ancestors reburied3. Others who advocate for science, but do things in respect of Native American traditionsLecture 16 (October 8) Neolithic Revolutions (continued) and the Concept of CultureBig Changes that Prefaced Origins of Agriculture:1. Paleolithic: The peopling of the Earth (global human diaspora)2. Mesolithic: Climate change  changes in subsistence and settlement patterns, the “broad-spectrum revolution”3. Neolithic: Adaptation through domestication, social complexity, permanent population