Lindow Man Anthropology

Science plays a major role in assisting archaeologists and researchers reconstruct the past. In the case of Ötzi, scientific research resulted in magnificent findings and continues to make great finds and extract evidence from the body and the equipment found with it.

Until the early 1900's, scientists used several methods of measurement in their efforts to determine the age of the Earth. They studied sedimentation and erosion, stratification (with fossil evidence), measured the salinity of the oceans, and used thermodynamics to determine loss of heat since the Earth's beginning. Each of these approaches yielded estimates that the Earth was anywhere from 24 to 100 million years old.

Death by Theory, written by Adrian Praetzellis, is an engaging and informational book written in a novelistic way that engages the reader to think critically about archaeology. Compared to other forms of informational text about archaeology, Death by Theory teaches archaeological theory by telling a story that incorporates the different theories of archaeology in a realistic setting. While standard textbooks about the theory of archaeology can come off a bit dry, Death by Theory skips the standard definitions and applies this in a way that aids the reader in understanding how these theories and terms can be applied in an actual archaeological setting. This text illustrates the adventure of plucky archaeologist Dr. Hannah Green and her nephew Sean Doyle as they seek to explain an unusual archaeological site while dealing with real life archaeological struggles. The protagonists deal with an egotistical colleague of Dr. Green who sought her out as a consult on a particularly strange archaeological case. All the while dealing with cults, the media, and incompatible data.

2. Given that the half-life of the radioisotope carbon-14 is 5730 years, how useful do you think this isotope would be for dating bones that are over a million years old?

2) Carbon -14 would not be effective at dating bones that are millions of years old. Carbon -14 is effective at dating to a maximum of 40 000 to 50 000 years old. The isotope decays over time and would not be present on bones that are millions of years old.

The Jesuits disagreed with the treatment of the sick as they prefered using their sugar, baptizing and “discrediting their sorcerers” methods of treatment for the sick attempting to disprove it. The shamans of the Huron responded to this by forbidding the use of “the french snow” as they viewed “that they should blame only the french” for their misfortunes(JR88,89) . This type of behaviours by the Jesuits openly insulting the Indigenous people’s culture leads to different reactions as to what actions should be taken in dealing with the French. Factions were created to decide whether to accommodate them, or to pursue open conflict causing certain factions to proceed with violence to achieve their political goal as is the case of the martyr

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Scientist are able to use modern instruments to accurately date these rocks by measuring radioactive decay. These rocks are approximently 1.7 billion years old, less than half the age of the earth. These black rocks tell scientist not only how old they date back but

The physical appearance preservation of the bog bodies is normally in prime condition. Because of this condition it means that scientists and archaeologists are able to study the features of the body and conclude things like the development of physical evolution from the ancient body to bodies of modern society. They can also obtain information on the cause of death of the body by seeing things like, for example, the Tollund man, who had a rope around his neck that concluded he had been hung to death. And by concluding causes of death, it can also be seen if the body was of sacrificial or a ritual demonstrating what burial practices were in place.

Modern scientific methods and testing have made it possible for both historians and archaeologists and also

This article, titled “New Ages for Human Occupation and Climatic Change at Lake Mungo, Australia,” was written by James M. Bowler, Harvey Johnston, Jon M. Olley, and John R. Prescott et al and is about the ages of the three different human remains that are located at the Lake Mungo site, which is in New South Wales Australia. It tells about Lake Mungo I, Lake Mungo II, and Lake Mungo III, which are all different remains of the oldest living humans in Australia. The article also says that the remains are forty thousand years old and that their mitochondrial DNA is estimated to be between thirty thousand years old and forty-two thousand years old (Bowler, Johnston, Olley, et al). The climatic change has aged these three different human remains in ways that is significant for archaeologists.

In 2012 the human remains of what was believed to be of King Richard III were discovered under a parking lot in Leicester. Analysis and historical documentation support that these remains were in fact Richard III. The remains were of a 30 years old male with gracile features and severe scoliosis, he was found with severe head trauma that more than likely was the cause of death. The writers of this article; Angela L. Lamb, Jane E. Evans, Richard Buckley, and Jo Appleby use isotope analysis to discuss and reconstruct Richards diet and migration history. Their analysis consisted of two teeth, one femur, and one rib bone. They were hoping that they could use historical documentation and isotope findings to help reconstruct Richards life, and they would gain knowledge about his diet and migration history. This article explains that this case was new at the time and these were only preliminary findings but with continued research they were hoping to find out more about this unpopular King.

This method is used to determine the exact age of fossils, artifacts and the earth. This involves, examining several strata of the crust of the earth to show the time intervals of one layer of rock to another layer as well as use the layering principle to confirm the series of cultures.

This changed history forever. While it created controversy, due to some people’s attachments to the old ways of dating and doubts in this revolutionary method, it proved to be the closest method to have an accurate chronology of history. In 1955, to prove the accuracy or radiocarbon, Libby published a graph that showed the comparison of the results of radiocarbon dating of specimens from Egypt. These specimens had already an absolute known date. The graph proved the accuracy of Libby’s radiocarbon dating. Figure 1 (Renfrew, 1973)

By testing sediment and recording whether it was deposited under conditions of normal polarity and then measuring successive layers, we can build a time chart. By matching different charts from different areas with similar fossils, a more global correlation can be made.