Archaeology RQ #4

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Austin Community College District *

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2302

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Anthropology

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by CaptainOtterMaster1022

Reading Questions - Chapter 4 1) What are the two broad categories of dating? Ans: Relative dating and absolute dating 2) The beating-heart of relative dating is __________. Ans: stratigraphy 3) In this age of absolute dating why does anybody still bother to do typology and seriation? Ans: In this age of absolute dating, typology and seriation remain valuable in archaeology because they provide relative chronological information and aid in organizing artifacts based on stylistic or temporal attributes, helping to establish sequences and patterns even when precise numeric ages are unavailable or as supplementary tools to refine chronological interpretations. 4) The single most important type of absolute dating is __________. Ans: radiocarbon dating 5) Explain tree-ring dating, aka dendrochronology. Make sure to include the old wood problem and master sequences. An: Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, involves analyzing annual growth rings in trees to establish chronological sequences. The "Old Wood Problem" arises when artifacts contain a mix of old and new wood, challenging accurate dating. Master sequences, built by cross-dating tree-ring patterns, aid in precise chronological interpretations of wooden artifacts.

6) Explain how radiocarbon dating works. How far back can we radiocarbon date something? Ans: Radiocarbon dating measures the decay of carbon-14 isotopes in organic material to determine its age. It is effective for dating materials up to approximately 50,000 years, with a half-life of about 5,730 years. Calibration is used to adjust variations in atmospheric carbon-14 levels over time, ensuring more accurate dating. 7) Did you include those two assumptions? How do we deal with those assumptions sometimes being slightly violated? Ans: The two key assumptions in radiocarbon dating are constant atmospheric carbon-14 levels and a steady rate of decay. When these assumptions are violated, calibration methods are employed, adjusting dates based on known variations in atmospheric carbon-14 levels over time and refining measurements to address deviations from a consistent decay rate. Calibration helps enhance the accuracy of radiocarbon dating in situations where assumptions may be slightly compromised. 8) How should you take samples for radiocarbon dating? Or, put another way, what should you look for when reading about the date of some archaeological find or site? Ans: When taking samples for radiocarbon dating, choose well-preserved organic materials related to human activities, minimize contamination risks, and ensure representativeness. When reading about archaeological dates, consider contextual details, check for calibration information adjusting for atmospheric variations, and assess publication reliability for accurate interpretations. 9) Briefly, what are those other radiometric methods and when would they likely be used?  Ans: Potassium-Argon Dating: Used for dating volcanic rocks and minerals, often applied in the study of human evolution and geological processes.

 Uranium -Series Dating: Applied to materials containing uranium, like cave formations or fossils, useful for dating events within the last several hundred thousand years.  Luminescence Dating (Thermoluminescence, Optically Stimulated Luminescence): Suitable for dating pottery, burnt stones, and sediments, providing ages for events within the last hundreds of thousands of years.  Argon -Argon Dating: A refined version of potassium-argon dating, used for dating rocks and minerals with greater precision, particularly in geological studies.  Lead -Uranium Dating: Applied to dating zircon crystals in rocks, providing insights into Earth's early history and the timing of geological events. 10) Briefly, what are those other non-radiometric absolute methods and when would they likely be used? 1. Tree Rings: Counting tree rings tells us how old wooden things are, good for stuff up to a few thousand years. 2. Ice Cores: Looking at layers in ice shows us old climate changes, helping with the weather story over tens of thousands of years. 3. Varves in Lakes: Checking mud layers in lakes each year helps date things and understand the environment for several thousand years. 4. Amino Acid Changes: Studying protein changes in old stuff, like fossils, works for dating things a few hundred thousand years old. 5. Obsidian Glass: Measuring changes in volcanic glass helps date volcanic events and artifacts from thousands of years ago.

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Bonus for zero points, but I am curious. What is the strangest thing or material you can think of to radiocarbon date? (That can still be radiocarbon dated.) Ans: Radiocarbon dating has been applied to some unusual materials, and one intriguing example is the dating of ancient camel dung. In archaeological sites, the preserved dung of domesticated or wild camels can provide insights into past human-animal interactions, trade routes, or the presence of specific species in different regions.

Archaeology RQ #4

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