Archaeology Notes
Kenyatta University | INSTITUTUTE OF OPEN LEARNING | AHT 202 EARLY AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGY | | | W. KENNEDY GITU, L.K. NGARI, W.S. NDIIRI | 1/4/2012 |
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Table of Contents
Definition of Terms 3
Fossils in Geological Context 5
The Earth in the Cenozoic 11
Origins of Primates 17
The Basis for Human Evolution 23
Origins of the Genus Homo 28
Origins of Modern Humans………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 32
Behavior and Evolution of Early Hominines……………………………………………………………………………………………39
African Pre- Historic Art…………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….49
Definition of Terms
Angular torus a thickened bony ridge on the back of the parietal
Biostratigraphy the use of biological organisms found in rocks to correlate ages between sites.
Bipedalism refers to locomotion e.g., walking, jogging, running, etc., on two legs.
Geology, is the study of the earth, which allows us to understand the preservation, age, and environment in which fossils are found.
Gracile means slender. Most of them were relatively small, slender, and delicate boned
Lithostratigraphy the use of characteristics of the rock layers to correlate across regions
Loess windblown sediments
Occipital torus, a ridge of bone that runs horizontally across the occipital
Palaentology, a field that take its name from the Greek words for “old” (paleos) and “existence” (ontos), is devoted to gleaning all the information that can be extracted from the fossils.
Paleosol ancient soil
Petrifacation the process of turning bone into stone through the absorption minerals from the surrounding soil or ground water that eventually replace the organism’s original inorganic tissues.
Phytoliths opaline silica bodies that are secreted by grasses whose shape is often characteristic of that plant.
Plantigrade fashion walking on the soles of the feet rather than on their knuckles
Plesiadapiforms, primitive form in the Pliocene thought to be an ancestor of primates although much controversy exist.
Postorbital
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Table of Contents
Definition of Terms 3
Fossils in Geological Context 5
The Earth in the Cenozoic 11
Origins of Primates 17
The Basis for Human Evolution 23
Origins of the Genus Homo 28
Origins of Modern Humans………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 32
Behavior and Evolution of Early Hominines……………………………………………………………………………………………39
African Pre- Historic Art…………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….49
Definition of Terms
Angular torus a thickened bony ridge on the back of the parietal
Biostratigraphy the use of biological organisms found in rocks to correlate ages between sites.
Bipedalism refers to locomotion e.g., walking, jogging, running, etc., on two legs.
Geology, is the study of the earth, which allows us to understand the preservation, age, and environment in which fossils are found.
Gracile means slender. Most of them were relatively small, slender, and delicate boned
Lithostratigraphy the use of characteristics of the rock layers to correlate across regions
Loess windblown sediments
Occipital torus, a ridge of bone that runs horizontally across the occipital
Palaentology, a field that take its name from the Greek words for “old” (paleos) and “existence” (ontos), is devoted to gleaning all the information that can be extracted from the fossils.
Paleosol ancient soil
Petrifacation the process of turning bone into stone through the absorption minerals from the surrounding soil or ground water that eventually replace the organism’s original inorganic tissues.
Phytoliths opaline silica bodies that are secreted by grasses whose shape is often characteristic of that plant.
Plantigrade fashion walking on the soles of the feet rather than on their knuckles
Plesiadapiforms, primitive form in the Pliocene thought to be an ancestor of primates although much controversy exist.
Postorbital
References: Grine, F.; Henshilwood, S.; Sealy, C. (Jun 2000). "Human remains from Blombos Cave, South Africa: (1997-1998 excavations).". Journal of Human Evolution 38 (6): 755–765. Henshilwood, C.S. 2006. Modern humans and symbolic behaviour: Evidence from Blombos Cave, South Africa. In Origins (ed. G. Blundell). Cape Town: Double Storey: 78–83. Cole Sonia. 1958. Early Man in East Africa, 3rd ed. London: Macmillian Education Limited.