Archaeology Ch. 9

atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS)

a method of analyzing artifact composition similar to optical emission spectrometry in that it measure energy in the form of visible light waves; is capable of measuring up to 40 different elements with an accuracy of c. 1 percent

neutron activation analysis (NAA)

a method used in the analysis of artifact composition which depends on the excitation of the nuclei of the atoms of a sample's various elements, when these are bombarded with slow neutrons; the method is accurate to about plus or minus 5%

x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF)

a method used in the analysis of artifact composition, in which the sample is irradiated with a beam of x-rays which excite electrons associated with atoms on the surface

reciprocity

a mode of exchange in which transactions take place between individuals who are symmetrically placed, i.e. they are exchanging as equals, neither being in a dominant position

market exchange

a mode of exchange which implies both a specific location for transactions and the sort of social relations where bargaining can occur; usually involved a system of price-making through negotiation

redistribution

a mode of exchange which implies that operation of some central organizing authority; goods are received or appropriated by the central authority, and subsequently some of them are sent by that authority to other locations

interaction sphere

a regional or inter-regional exchange system, e.g. the Hopewell interaction sphere

kula ring

a system of ceremonial, non-competitive, exchange practiced in Melanesia to establish and reinforce alliances

thin-section analysis

a technique whereby microscopic thin sections are cut from a stone object or potsherd and examined with a petrological microscope to determine the source of the material

primitive valuables

a term coined by Dalton to describe the tokens of wealth and prestige, often of specially valued items, that were used in the ceremonial exchange systems of non-state societies; examples include the shell necklaces and bracelets of the kula system

world system

a term coined by the historian Wallerstein to designate an economic unit, articulated by trade networks extending far beyond the boundaries of individual political units (nation states), and linking them together in a larger functioning unit

obsidian

a volcanic glass whose ease of working and characteristically hard flint like edges allowed it to be used for the making or tools

isotopic analysis

an important source of information on the reconstruction of prehistoric diets, this technique analyzes the ratios of the principal isotopes preserved in human bone; in effect the method reads the chemical signatures left in the body by different foods

sphere of exchange

in non-market societies, prestige valuables and ordinary commodities were often exchanged quite separately; i.e. valuables were exchanged against valuables in prestige transactions, while commodities were exchanged against commodities with much less ceremony, in mutually profitable barter transactions

competition

neighbouring areas compete with one another in various ways, judging their own success against that of their neighbours; this often takes a symbolic form in periodic meetings at some major ceremonial centers where representatives of the various areas meet, celebrate ritual, and sometimes compete in games and other enterprises

direct access

refers to the situation where the user goes directly to the source of the material, without intervention of any exchange mechanism

intrinsic value

subjective systems of value

internal exchange

taking place within the specific society we are considering

characterization (sourcing)

the application of techniques of examination by which characteristic properties of the constituent material of traded goods can be identified, and thus their source of origin; e.g. petrographic thin-section analysis

peer-polity interaction

the full range of exchanges taking place- including imitation, emulation, competition, warfare, and the exchange material goods and information- between autonomous (self-governing) socio-political units, generally within the same geographic region

fall-off analysis

the study of regularities in the way in which quantities of traded items found in the archaeological record decline as the distance from the source increases. This may be plotted as a fall-off curve, with the quantities of material (y axis) plotted against the distance from the source (x axis)

trace element analysis

the use of chemical techniques, such as neutron activation analysis, or x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, for determining the incidence of trace elements in rocks; these methods are widely used in the identification of raw material sources for the production of stone tools

external exchange

where goods are traded over greater distances, moving from one social unit to another