Anthropology 9-11

Homo florsiensis

A dwarf species of hominid that lived on the Indonesian island of Flores until about 12,000 years ago and probably descended from an isolated homo Erectus population

Levalloisian method

A method that allowed flake tools of predestined size to be produced form a shaped core. The toolmakers first shaped the core and prepared a "striking platform" at one end. Flakes of predetermined and standard sizes could then be knocked off. Although some Levallois flakes date form as far back as 400,000 years ago, they are found more frequently in Mousterian tool kids

hand axe

A teardrop shaped stone tool characteristic of Acheulian assemblages

hard hammer

A technique of stone tool manufacture where one stone is used to knock flakes from another stone. Flakes produced through hard hammer percussion are usually large and crude.

bifacial tool

A tool worked or flaked on two sides

Homo rudolfensis

Early species belonging to our genus Homo. Similar enough to Homo Habilis that some paleoanthropologist make no distinction between the two

Homo

Genus to which modern humans and their ancestors belong

Cro-Magnon

Humans who lived in Western Europe about 35000 years ago, they were once thought to be the earliest specimens of modern looking humans, pr Homo sapiens sapiens. but it is now known that modern-looking humans appeared earlier outside of Europe; the earliest so far found lived in Africa

Mousterian tool assemblage

Named after the tool assemblage found in a rock shelter at Le Moustier in the Dordogne region of southwestern France. Compared with Acheulian assemblage, Mousterian has a smaller proportion of large core tools such as hand axe and cleavers and a bigger proportion of small flake tools such as scrapers. Flakes were often altered o retouched by striking small flakes or chips from one or more edges.

neandertal

The common name for the species homo neandertalensis

Homo erectus

The first hominid species to be widely distributed in the Old World. The earliest finds are possibly 1.8 million years old. The brain was larger than that found in any of the australopithecines or H Habilis but smaller than the average brain of a modern human

Acheulian

The stone toolmaking tradition dating from 1.5 million years ago. Compared with the Oldowan tradition, Acheulian assemblages have more large tools created according to standardized designs or shapes. One of the most characteristic and prevalent tools in the Acheulian tool lit is the hand-axe, which is a teardrop shaped bifacially flaked tool with a thinned sharp tip. Other large tools might have been cleavers and picks.

burin

a chisel-like stone tool used for carving and for making such artifacts as bone and antler needles, awls, and projectile points

prognathic

a physical feature that is sticking out or pushed forward, such as the faces in apes and some hominid species

occipital torus

a ridge of bone running horizontally across the back of the skull in apes and some hominids

microlith

a small, razor like blade fragment that was probably attached in a series to a wooden or bone handle to form a cutting edge

soft hammer

a technique of stone tool manufacture in which a bone or wood hammer is used to strike flakes from a stone

blade

a thin flake whose length is usually more than twice its width. In the blade technique of toolmaking, a core is prepared by shaping a piece of flint with hammer stones into a pyramidal or cylindrical form. Blades are then struck off until the core is used up.

unifacial tool

a tool worked or flaked on one side only

indirect percussion

a toolmaking technique common in the upper Paleolithic. After shaping a. core into a pyramidal or cylindrical form, the toolmaker can put a punch of antler or wood from another hard material into position and strike it with a hammer. Using a hammer-struck punch enabled toolmakers to strike off consistently shaped blades.

percussion flaking

a toolmaking technique in which one stone is struck with another to remove a flake

Homo heidelbergensis

a transitional species between homo Erectus and Homo sapiens

sagittal keel

an inverted v-shaped ridge running along the top of the skull in homo Erectus

atlatl

aztec word for "spear thrower"

Homo habilis

dating from about 2 million years ago, an early species belonging to our genus, homo, with cranial capacities averaging about 630-640 cc, about 50% of the brain capacity of modern humans

Homo ergaster

different from homo Erectus because: have different cranial proportions, have a thinner brow ridge and is arched above each of the eye sockets. The eye sockets are more rounded. the face is oriented more vertically below the skull.

taurodontism

having teeth with an enlarged pulp cavity

ethnographic analogy

method of comparative cultural study that extrapolates to the past from recent or current societies

Homo sapiens sapiens

modern looking humans, undisputed examples of which appeared about 50,000 years ago; may have appeared earlier

Homo antecessor

refers to a group of hominid fossils found int eh Atapuerca region of Spain that appear to be transitional between Neandertals and modern humans. They are closely related to Homo heidelbergensis, and many scholars believe they are the same species

Oldowan

the earliest stone toolmaking tradition, named after the tools found in Bed 1 at tTanzania, from abut 2.5 million years ago. The stone artifacts include core tools and sharp edged flakes made by striking one stone against another. Flake tools predominate. Among the core tools, so called choppers are common

Lower paleolithic

the period of the Oldowan and Acheulian stone tool traditions

Homo neandertalensis

the technical name for the Neanderthals, a group of robust and otherwise anatomically distinct hominids that are close relatives of modern humans - so close that some believe they should be classified as Homo sapiens neandertalensis

upper Paleolithic

the time period associated with the emergence of modern humans and their speed around the world.

middle paleolithic

the time period of the Mousterian stone tool tradition

pressure flaking

toolmaking technique whereby small flakes are struck off by pressing against the core with a bone, antler, or wooden tool