Anthropology Museum Assignment

Allison Brown Dr. Jason Toohey ANTH 1300 4 March 2020 Anthropology Museum Assignment Museum Exhibits: The Eskimo Exhibit 1. What evidence of contact with Europeans do you see among the artifacts in the Eskimo exhibit? a. In this exhibit, contact with Europeans can be noticed through the steel/metal materials that are used in the fishing hook and tools. The Eskimo populations would not have had access inherently to steel or metals to create these tools. 2. What are some reasons that many hunter-gatherer groups had very few personal possessions? a. Because they were nomads, what they owned had to be carried with them at all times. The Eskimo populations therefore had less personal possessions and to some historians/Europeans at the time may have seemed more “primitive” because of this. Additionally, they relied on their knowledge about their world and and flora within it to manufacture medicine, clothing, and tools from their resources. Peopling of the Americas Exhibit 1. What is the earliest recognized group to enter the Americas? When did they get here, and what is their archaeological signature? a. The “Clovis” people, later named after the New Mexico town in which they were originally discovered, were the first recognized group to visit the Americas. They were big-game hunters who made sharp hunting weapons who came here from Asia using the Bering Strait over 14,000 years ago. Their archaeological signature was their “clovis points” that were used for hunting purposes and scraping purposes. 2. What is the Ice Free Corridor Migration hypothesis? a. This hypothesis explains that through dramatic climate change in the late Ice Age or Pleistocene era, glaciers receded and corridors for human migration opened. The ice-free corridor opened next to the eastern portion of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Some archaeologists suggest that people came via boats from Europe however, the most likely route was along the Pacific Coast of Alaska and Canada where a small strip of land between glaciers permitted passage into the Americas. 3. What are three migration theories represented here, other than the Ice Free Corridor? a. Other viable migration theories from archaeologists is the idea that travel over the Pacific Ocean occurred some 60,000 years ago between Australia and South America, where individuals settled between the two continents. Another idea is that 19,000 years ago Europeans also navigated the oceans to the Americas and settled. Additionally to the Bering Strait theory, from Asia people may have travelled alongside the ice shelves hunting and eventually travelling further south. Life in the Bush Exhibit 1. What culture is represented here, and where do they live? a. This exhibit features the cultures of the Bushmen who reside in the southern Kalahari Desert in current day Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and South Africa. These people were highly nomadic on their land who resided in temporary natural brush structures. 2. What hunting and ceremonial artifacts are found in this display? a. In this display: an atl-atl, ax, bow/arrows, hunting net, ostrich eggshell canteens, and a digging stick are featured, these are the hunting artifacts that the Bushmen would have used for food purposes. Ceremonially: an insect cocoon rattle and mongongo nut are featured, both holding ceremonial and cultural purposes in the society. Hallway Exhibits: Southwest Ceramics Exhibit (2nd Floor) 1. There are artifacts from how many cultures or cultural traditions in this display? a. There are artifacts from many cultures on display that range from the Hohokam, Anasazi, Pueblo, Hopi, and to the Mogollon cultures in Southwest New Mexico. 2. What is the oldest and youngest artifact in the display, and how do these dates compare to the timeline presented in the display? a. The oldest artifact in this display is from 1100 AD. ThisMogollon storage jar was found in south central New Mexico. It was discovered in pieces from a looter’s backdirt by Archaeologist Margret Powers. The newest artifact on display is the Modern Santa Clara Pot, these black and sleek vessels are relatively new, not coming into being until the early 1900s. The Bison Exhibit (1st Floor) 1. What evidence do we have to suggest that bison were an important resource for prehistoric residents of the Northwest plains? a. Through buffalo jump sites and ceremonial elements of the animal, the bison was not only an important resource for its meat and hide but also for its cultural significance to Native American populations. The respect for the bison is derived from its usage in the culture, the idea that no part of the animal could remain unused, and respect for the animal as a part of the “circle of life”. 2. What techniques did prehistoric hunter-gatherers use to procure Bison in Wyoming? a. Prehistoric hunter-gatherers used buffalo jumps to easily and effectively gather bison in Wyoming. This would be carried out through Native Americans corralling a group of bison towards a cliff ledge, running them off, and then going to where they fell and butchering/collecting the animals. 3. True or False? The horse has always been an important part of plains culture? a. False. Horses were not brought to Native American populations until the Europeans came to the new world. Before horses, populations were able to effectively hunt (i.e. bison jumps) and travel on foot. Rock Shelter Exhibit (2nd Floor) 1. What is the difference between a petroglyph and a pictograph? a. A petroglyph is carved into the rock whereas a pictographic painted onto the rock. 2. How many rock shelters has the SHPO recorded in Wyoming? a. Over 500 rock shelters have been recorded by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wyoming. However, archaeologists have yet to find substantial evidence for rock shelters in Colorado or in the Western part of the state including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, these areas are mainly composed of igneous rock (like granite) which is less likely to erode, diminishing the chances of a rock shetler to have been created there by prehistoric peoples. 3. What is unique about rock shelters that make them of interest to archaeologists? a. Rock shelters (from the Archaic period) are unique to archaeologists because they are in locations where the earth is stratigraphic, the layers of Wyoming’s limestone and sandstone allow for artifacts that are normally perishable (i.e. wild onion bulbs, feather bundles, natural beads) to survive. In these rock shelters, archaeologists have discovered elements of natural material culture unknown from other prehistoric sites, helping to add to the collective knowledge of how these people lived.