Extractions: According to ancient tradition, the Chinese were savages until a sage came along and taught them how to construct shelters. Later wise men taught, in succession, the use of fire, music and the cultivation of crops. The last of these sages was the Yellow Emperor Huangdi, the father of Chinese civilization. That tale, from the first century B.C., suggests that the process of human evolution took place in Chinaa notion that was boosted by the celebrated discovery in 1921 of Peking Man, a Homo erectus fossil unearthed outside Beijing. That led to claims, believed for decades in China, that Chinese were the earliest modern humans. These days, the claims are getting a rough shaking from hard scienceas is the notion that the Chinese are a unique, indigenous race. The Chinese Human Genome Diversity Project, a collaboration among 12 researchers from seven institutions, scrutinized DNA samples from 28 of China's 56 ethnic groups and then compared the samples with genetic material from other Asian and non-Asian groups. Their verdict: Chineselike the rest of humanityevolved in Africa. They migrated eastward along the Indian Ocean and made their way to China via Southeast Asia. "It is now safe to conclude," reported the researchers, "that modern humans originating in Africa constitute the majority of the current gene pool in Asian populations."
Ancient Scotland An extensive pictorial guide to the prehistory of Scotland http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/
Bates College | Bruce Bourque Profile of this Bates College Senior Lecturer. Research includes the prehistory of Maine. http://www.bates.edu/faculty-bourque.xml
Extractions: About Bates Academics Admissions Student Life ... News Release Archive Bruce Bourque tells the story of the first Mainers There's no shortage of wrong ideas about Maine's first inhabitants. But that's bound to change, thanks to a book recently published by Bruce Bourque, senior lecturer in anthropology at Bates. He is the primary author of "Twelve Thousand Years: American Indians in Maine" (University of Nebraska Press), a history of native Mainers from the earliest Paleo-Indians to the natives who greeted the European explorers. The book sums up Bourque's Maine research to date. In 1970 he began an archaeological project on Penobscot Bay's Fox Islands that has surveyed more than 200 sites so far and excavated 35. Bourque is also chief archaeologist and curator of ethnology at the Maine State Museum. "Twelve Thousand Years" challenges the image of pre-Colonial Indian history as static. Instead, Bourque says, it was complex and dynamic. Maine's first inhabitants were "human, and their communities ebbed and flowed in their numbers and shifted geographic relationships. And we haven't understood that until just recently." Bourque notes that his students are curious about native Mainers. "From them I get repeatedly, 'Why don't they teach us this stuff in school?' And I say, 'Because my book isn't out yet,' " he laughs. "But my book is now out, so hopefully that will begin to change."
Prehistory Section Ancient technology and human prehistory in ancient civilizations of China, Egypt, Greece, India, Latin America, Mesopotamia, Vikings and North America. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/
Venus Of Willendorf Illustrated essay by Christopher Witcombe of Sweet Briar College on this famous figure and the history of its discovery, with bibliography. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorfdiscovery.html
Extractions: The Venus of Willendorf Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe 1. DISCOVERY The most famous early image of a human, a woman, is the so-called "Venus" of Willendorf, found in 1908 by the archaeologist Josef Szombathy [see BIBLIOGRAPHY in an Aurignacian loess deposit in a terrace about 30 meters above the Danube near the town of Willendorf in Austria. The earliest notice of its discovery appeared in a report by the Yale anthropologist George Grant MacCurdy (1863-1947) who happened to be in Vienna in the summer of 1908. Although the greater part of the collection of finds from the site had not yet been unpacked, MacCurdy reported excitedly that before he left Vienna Szombathy had very kindly shown him a single remarkable specimen - a human figurine, full length, carved out of stone [see BIBLIOGRAPHY The statuette, which measures about 11.1 centimeters in length, is now in Vienna's Naturhistorisches Museum . It was carved from a fine porous oolitic limestone not found in the region and so must have been brought to the area from another location. It may well be the case that the carving, which was presumably done with flint tools, was not done locally. When first discovered the Venus of Willendorf was thought to date to approximately 15,000 to 10,000 BCE, or more or less to the same period as the cave paintings at
Faculty Profile: Karen D. Vitelli Brief profile of this Indiana University Professor. Research interests include Aegean prehistory and archaeological ethics. http://www.indiana.edu/~anthro/people/vitelli.html
Extractions: Professor of Classical Archaeology on leave Email Office Hours Geographical Areas of Specialization: Topical Interests: Prehistoric pots and potters, Aegean prehistory, Archaeological ethics Current Courses: TBA I am interested in the ways that people learned to manipulate clay and how they developed ceramic processes, in the uses to which the craft has been put, and most of all, in what the remains of its creations can tell us about the people and the societies who made and used the objects. With my students, I make pots experimentally, using only tools, materials, and techniques that would have been available to prehistoric potters. We use our experiences and trials as a starting point for enquiry about prehistoric experience and motivation, using the potsherds as guides to human behavior. My approach to the subject of archaeological ceramics grew out of work with the massive Neolithic ceramic assemblage recovered from the IU Excavations at Franchthi Cave, in Southern Greece. The Franchthi project was a major innovator in both methodological and theoretical work in Aegean archaeology. In the field, we developed new techniques for precise excavation, recovery and recording of deep and complexly stratified deposits. One outcome of that was a more detailed analysis of ceramic context than previously possible. The results convinced me of the fundamental importance of archaeological context for all archaeological analyses.
Michael Graves Brief profile of this University of Hawaii Professor. Research interests include the prehistory of Polynesia, Micronesia, Insular Southeast Asia, and the American Southwest. http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu/faculty/graves/graves.htm
Extractions: University of Hawai'i at Manoa Department of Anthropology Site Map Home Page Archaeology Cultural Anthropology ... Nina Etkin Michael Graves Bion Griffin Terry Hunt Gregory Maskarinec Michael Pietrusewsky ... Heather Young Leslie Emeritus Faculty Adjunct Faculty Secretary: Elaine Nakahashi Student Services: Denise Wandasan Michael Graves Professor Background: I received my B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Washington (Seattle), and my Ph.D. in 1981 from the University of Arizona (Tucson). My specialization is in archaeology, specifically archaeological method and theory and the prehistory of Polynesia, Micronesia, Insular Southeast Asia, and the American Southwest. Throughout my career, my research has focused on 3 topics: the development and intensification of agriculture/subsistence; the evolution of social complexity and social organization, and stylistic analyses of architecture, rock art, and ceramics. I previously taught at the University of Guam (1981-86) and I have been with the University of Hawai'i at Manoa since 1986. I have previously edited the journals American Antiquity and Asian Perspectives: The Archaeological Journal for Asia and the Pacific.
Ancient Greek Civilizations Provides overview of Greek history including Minoan and Mycenian cultures, Homeric literature and myth. Read about the ancient cities Athens and Sparta. http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/prehistory/aegean/index.shtml
Extractions: History of Aegean Civilization Cultures of the Aegean The Cities of Greece Aspects of Culture and People in Ancient Greece Other Resources... About this Exhibit ... Jennifer Taylor (c) 1998 all rights reserved. Please Note: Works can be cited by listing the URL of this site for academic and student use.
Anthropology Faculty Detailed profile of this University of Southern Mississippi Professor. Research interests include human ecology, and zooarchaeology and the prehistory of the southeastern United States. http://www-dept.usm.edu/~antsoc/anthro/jackson.html
Extractions: Sedentism and Hunter-Gatherer Adaptations in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Subsistence Strategies during the Poverty Point Period . Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. (1986) Research Interests Prehistory of the Southeastern United States . My research and teaching area of specialization is the prehistory of the southeastern United States, particularly in subsistence practices, ritual integration, and political and economic organization of middle range societies ranging from the Middle Archaic to Mississippian Period. I am particularly interested in exploring how prehistoric animal use reflects economic as well as social organization in these societies. Extensive local fieldwork in collaboration with my graduate students has produced significant advances in our understanding of the prehistory of southeast Mississippi. In addition to my own research efforts and teaching responsibilities, I am editor for the Mississippi Archaeological Association, publisher of Mississippi Archaeology.
Archaeology & Buildings : Research & Conservation : English Heritage Works with others to improve understanding of Englandâs historic environment, from prehistory to presentday. Includes an overview of historic buildings and landscapes, current projects, programs and publications. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1134
Extractions: Skip to content Search for Advanced Search Archaeology is the study of past societies and individuals through the physical remains they have left us. Architectural history is about understanding buildings and their surroundings in their wider cultural, historical and social context. We work in partnership with others, using a spectrum of techniques, to improve the understanding of the historic environment, from prehistory to present-day. Maritime Archaeology The role of the English Heritage Maritime Team. Research by the Landscape Investigation Team. English Heritage seeks to support and develop better standards and guidance for archaeology. English Heritageâs research into the historic built environment. Characterisation helps to manage change in the historic environment by tracing the imprint of history. There are many scientific techniques that can be applied both before and after excavation. Interpretation, mapping and analysis of aerial photographs and related sources.
Malta - Archaeology And Prehistory Chronology of Maltese prehistory, with pictures of its Megalithic temples, part of the Malta Field Trip site by the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. http://users.aber.ac.uk/jpg/malta/arch.html
Extractions: Malta has always stood at the crossroads of the Mediterranean. People crossing from north to south, or from east to west, have all left a trace on the island. The most startling of these traces is to be found in the great Neolithic Temples which on Malta and Gozo. These were built 1000 years before the Pyramids, and are the oldest stone buildings in the world. I hope that you are impressed! The construction of these buildings demonstrate a mastery of quarrying, stone working, building and engraving techniques and must be the work of a mature, confident culture. Like stone circles in the British Isles some appear to be concerned with the passage of the seasons as indicated by the position of the Sun. To the geographer these structures are important because they indicate the presence of a very early (perhaps the earliest) civilization. We must ask the questions How did these people live? What was their impact on the environment? How has the islands environment changed and why?
Faculty - Dept. Of Anthropology - College Of Liberal Arts & Sciences - The Unive Brief profile for this University of Iowa professor. Research interests include the prehistory of Iowa and Minnesota, zooarchaeology, feminist archaeology, postprocessual archaeology, and paleoecology. http://www.uiowa.edu/~anthro/facpages/whelan.htm
Extractions: I have been a faculty member in Anthropology at the University of Iowa since 1987, but I have also been active in the American Indian and Native Studies Program, which I chaired from 1996-1998. I also work closely with the Museum Studies Program, the interdisciplinary Quaternary Research Group, and the Feminist Anthropology Program.
Ancient Egyptian Culture Architecture, art, hieroglyphs, military, maps, and daily life. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/index.shtml
Staff Sheffield University provides a photograph, brief biography and research interests of its Professor of Archaeology, specialist in the prehistory of the Aegean and Roman Britain. http://www.shef.ac.uk/uni/academic/A-C/ap/staff/branigan.html
Extractions: E-mail: None available at this time Professor Keith Branigan, BA, PhD, FSA was appointed to the first Chair of Archaeology at Sheffield in 1976. He has researched and published extensively on the prehistory of the Aegean and on Roman Britain. His special interests are in funerary behaviour, early metallurgy and the relationships between town and country. Latimer (Bucks) Romano-British villa excavation 1964-71 (Definitive monograph publication 1971) Gatcombe (Avon) Romano-British villa/settlement survey and excavation 1967-1976 (Definitive monograph publication 1977) Ayiofarango (Crete) Multi-period intensive survey 1971-72 (Definitive publications 1975,1977) Ayia Kyriaki (Crete) Early Bronze Age cemetery excavation 1972 (Definitive publication 1982) Barra and Vatersay (Outer Hebrides) Multi-period survey and excavation 1988 - 2000 (Definitive monograph publication 1995, 2000, third volume in prep)
Extractions: Nicholas T. Kouchoukos (PhD Yale 1998) Assistant Professor of Anthropology and of Social Sciences in the College studies the later prehistory and early history of southwest Asia and the industrial archaeology of the southeastern United States with interests in material culture, urbanism, historical ecology, and the construction of space. Related research focuses on power and geographic knowledge through comparative study of systems of spatial representation, notably GIS, and on remote sensing methods in archaeology and arid-region ecology. email: nkouchou@uchicago.edu Curriculum Vitae (PDF) Landscape and Social Change in Late Prehistoric Mesopotamia. PhD dissertation, Yale University. 1998 Monitoring the distribution, use and regeneration of natural resources in semi-arid southwest Asia. In J. Albert, M. Bernhardsson, and R. Kenna, Transformations of Middle Eastern Natural Environments. New Haven: Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. (w/R. Smith et al.). 2001 Satellite images and the representation of Near Eastern landscapes.
Southeast Region Ouline Of Prehistory And History. Native American history and archaeological information from the Southeast Archaeological Center, National Park Service. http://www.cr.nps.gov/seac/outline/index.htm
Systematics In Prehistory Ebook Robert C. Dunnell questions the validity of the concepts and assumptions of scientific classification of prehistoric societies based upon artifacts. A hypertext companion to the book with the same title that features chapter summaries and a glossary. http://darwin.anth.csulb.edu/rcd/book/
Toltec Essay overviewing the Toltec, with images and links. http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/cultures/toltec.html
Extractions: The Toltec Empire appeared in the Central Mexico area in the 10th century AD, when they established their central city of Tula Little is known directly about the Toltecs because the Aztecs plundered the Tula ruins for building materials for their nearby capital, destroying most of the historical evidence that remained. Much of what we know about the Toltecs comes from legends carried on about them by later cultures. The Toltec Empire was the first of the extreme militaristic cultures in the region that used their might to dominate their neighbors, a trend associated with the later cultures in the region, especially the Aztecs. Eventually the empire spread across most of Mexico, Guatemala, and as far south as the Yucatan, as they conquered lands previously controlled by the Mayans. The Toltec Empire and leaders created an unmatched mystique in the minds of the Central American people. The Toltec leaders were thought of as being alongside deities. Later cultures often revered them and copied their legends, art, buildings and religion. Many future rulers of other cultures, including Mayan leaders and Aztec emperors, claimed to be descended from the Toltecs. The Toltecs sported the familiar ball game played by many central American cultures and may have sacrificed of the losers. Toltecs are known for their somewhat rougher form of architecture, a form that would later inspire the Aztec builders. Toltec art is characterized by walls covered with snakes and skulls, images of a reclining Chak-mool (red jaguar), and the colossal statues of the Atlantes, men carved from great columns.
University Of Arkansas Anthropology: Faculty - Allen P. McCartney Detailed profile of this University of Arkansas Professor. Research has focused on bowhead whale utilization by prehistoric Eskimos, metal and other exotic material trade in the Arctic, maritime adaptations, and Alaskan prehistory. http://www.uark.edu/depts/anthinfo/mccartney.htm
Extractions: Professor Emeritus Allen P. McCartney Professor McCartney is an Arkansas native; he received his BA degree in 1962 from the University of Arkansas. He earned his MA (1967) and Ph.D. (1971) degrees from the University of Wisconsin, where he specialized in northern archaeology. He began conducting archaeological fieldwork in Alaska in 1962, and has primarily worked in the Aleutian Islands and northwestern coastal Alaska. He conducted his dissertation research in the northwestern Hudson Bay coastal region at Thule Eskimo sites in 1968-1969, and has had an active interest in Canadian Arctic Thule culture since then. For the past 25 years, Dr. McCartney's research has focused on bowhead whale utilization by prehistoric Eskimos, metal and other exotic material trade in the Arctic, maritime adaptations, and Alaskan prehistory (see Traditional Whaling in the Western Arctic ). He served on the Board of Governors of the Arctic Institute of North America (1977-1979), served as Editor of the journal
