Prehistoric Cultures -- University of Minnesota Duluth

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Week 09 Day 18

Thursday 5 November 2009

Homo Erectus Chart

nlt 4:17 Children of Eve
(58 min., 1987, CC, VC 961)

Announcements

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PCforum Topic 6

Headlines:
"Chinese challenge to 'out of Africa' theory"

Robert Olson of Deer River holds a plaster casting that he made from what he says are footprints of Bigfoot beings in Northeastern Minnesota.

Robert Olson of Deer River holds a plaster casting that he made from what he says are footprints of Bigfoot beings in Northeastern Minnesota.

Chinese paleontologists claim this 110,000-year-old jawbone is from a Homo sapiens
(Image: Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 -- The New Scientist

On Tuesday 3 November 2009
The New Scientist reported . . .

"The discovery of an early human fossil in southern China may challenge the commonly held idea that modern humans originated out of Africa."

Chapter 12 of the text focuses on "The Complete Replacement Model"
(aka the "Out of Africa" model)
and "The Regional Continuity Model"
(aka "Multiregional Evolution").

The video Children of Eve
(Week 09)
puts the "Out of Africa" debate in historic contexts.

After you have seen the video Children of Eve
and read Ch. 12 "The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans"
(assigned Week 10)
read The New Scientist article on the recently-reported Chinese finds,
"Chinese challenge to 'out of Africa' theory"
<http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18093>
and have a look at the class web page
"Out of Africa" vs. "Multi-Regional Hypothesis"
<http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth1602/pcoutofafrica.html#title>.

Question:

Do you think that the new Chinese discovery is a serious "challenge to [the] 'out of Africa' theory"?

2. Why? Or, why not?

"An artist's impression of Mitochondrial Eve
who probably lived in Africa,
about 150,000 years ago."
Wikipedia

PCforum
<http://www.d.umn.edu/~troufs/PCforum/>

Be sure to set your "Folder Selector"
in the main window
to the current topic
[use the “Reload/Main button" to get to the main window]

Set Folder Selector to Topic 6

REM: If you have any questions, you can post them on the PCforum
or bring them up in class

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Features of the Day

(to Old Business)

nlt 4:17 video

Children of Eve
(58 min., 1987, CC, VC 961)

The first part of this video is a good review for the Final Exam. Dates change rapidly in Prehistoric Cultures; ignore the dates in this video. The latest dates are included in "Times to Remember."
Cf, Week 13 for presentation of opposing argument, the "Regional Continuity," or the "Multiregional Hypothesis," concerning the development from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens

"An artist's impression of Mitochondrial Eve
who probably lived in Africa,
about 150,000 years ago."
Wikipedia

"Structure of a
generalized eukaryotic cell,
illustrating
the cell's
three-dimensional nature."

As you view the videos over the remainder of the semester pay attention to . . .

the actual content of the various finds
archaeological field methods and techniques
laboratory methods and techniques
- including reconstruction techniques, and . . .
archaeological dating techniques
theoretical / interpretative approaches
- including logic of analysis

More information on methods is contained in the text and in the methods slides:

Weeks	Methods and Techniques Slides
07 - 08	Some Important Concepts (slides 11B)
08	Special Skills:
		In the Field (slides 10A)
		In the Lab (slides 10B)
		In the Field and Lab (slides 10C)
12	Archaeological Dating Methods (slides 10D)
	Other Methods of Analysis (slides 10E)

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Old Business

Thursday 29 October 2009: Reviewed viewing guide and Special Skills: In the Lab (slides 10B) and Special Skills: In the Field and Lab (slides 10B) up to Archaeologists.
Tuesday 3 November 2009: Finished Special Skills In the Lab (slides 10B) and In the Field and Lab (slides 10C), Archaeological Dating Methods (slides 10D), and Other Methods of Analysis (slides 10E) up to Seriation.

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Weeks	Methods and Techniques Slides
07 - 08	Some Important Concepts (slides 11B)
08	Special Skills:
		In the Field (slides 10A)
		In the Lab (slides 10B)
		In the Field and Lab (slides 10C)
12	Archaeological Dating Methods (slides 10D)
	Other Methods of Analysis (slides 10E)

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Weeks
07 - 08 et pasim		Genetics, Primatology, Physical Anthropology Characteristics #1 - #6 (slides 07A)
		Culture and Human Breeding Patterns Characteristic #7 (slides 07B)
		Population Studies Characteristic #8 (slides 07C)
		Biocultural Evolution and Sociobiology Characteristics #9 - #10 (slides 08)

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Early Hominids in the Plio-Pleistocene
- Handout: Fossil Hominids in the Pleistocene

Week	Early Hominins Slides
	Major Discoveries slides: Prehistoric Primates -- Pre Homo sapiens sapiens (slides 01B-Primates_Prehistoric_Pre-Hss)
09	Introduction to Early Hominins (slides 17A)
	A Walk Through Hominin Evolution (slides 17B)
	"Putting it all Together" (slides 17C)
	Lucy, The First Family, and Friends (slides 18)
	Australopithecus Hunting and Foraging (slides 19)

	Early Homo (Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis) (slides 20)

return to scheduled features of the day

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Assignments

Read:	Ch. 11, "Premodern Humans," pp. 255-282
Post:	PCforum

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Notes

Thursday 29 October 2009: Reviewed viewing guide and Special Skills: In the Lab (slides 10B) and Special Skills: In the Field and Lab (slides 10B) up to Archaeologists.
Tuesday 3 November 2009: Finished Special Skills In the Lab (slides 10B) and In the Field and Lab (slides 10C), Archaeological Dating Methods (slides 10D), and Other Methods of Analysis (slides 10E) up to Seriation.
Thursday 5 November 2009: Reviewed PCforum Topic 6, Introduction to Early Hominins (slides 17A), and viewed Children of Eve (58 min., 1987, CC, VC 961). Didn't do seriation or ethnoarchaeology.

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Homo erectus
Sangiran 17, Java

CEE Week: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

CEE Week 09

Homo erectus and Contemporaries

(and descendents?)

Monday 9 November 2009

nlt 7:27 video Children of Eve
(58 min., 1987, CC, VC 961)

Read:	Ch. 11, "Premodern Humans," pp. 255-282
Post:	PCforum

Homo Erectus Chart

Text Resources

Homo erectus

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Announcements

Any questions about Extra Credit Options?
The second CEE exam is scheduled for Week 11, Monday, 23 November 2009

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PCforum Topic 6

Headlines:
"Chinese challenge to 'out of Africa' theory"

Robert Olson of Deer River holds a plaster casting that he made from what he says are footprints of Bigfoot beings in Northeastern Minnesota.

On Tuesday 3 November 2009
The New Scientist reported . . .

"The discovery of an early human fossil in southern China may challenge the commonly held idea that modern humans originated out of Africa."

Chapter 12 of the text focuses on "The Complete Replacement Model"
(aka the "Out of Africa" model)
and "The Regional Continuity Model"
(aka "Multiregional Evolution").

The video Children of Eve
(Week 09)
puts the "Out of Africa" debate in historic contexts.

Question:

Do you think that the new Chinese discovery is a serious "challenge to [the] 'out of Africa' theory"?

2. Why? Or, why not?

"An artist's impression of Mitochondrial Eve
who probably lived in Africa,
about 150,000 years ago."
Wikipedia

PCforum
<http://www.d.umn.edu/~troufs/PCforum/>

Be sure to set your "Folder Selector"
in the main window
to the current topic
[use the “Reload/Main button" to get to the main window]

Set Folder Selector to Topic 6

REM: If you have any questions, you can post them on the PCforum
or bring them up in class

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PCforum: Topic 7
Oldest Artifact in America -- Readers Write . . .

On Thursday, 5 November 2009,
the same folks who last year discovered the "14,000-year-old" coprolites announced the discovery of "the oldest known artefact in the Americas, a scraper-like tool in an Oregon cave that dates back 14,230 years."

Oldest American Artefact Unearthed
-- Nature (05 November 2009)

"An Oregon cave has yielded the oldest artefact ever found in the Americas."
Tom Stafford

For Topic 7 first review the Nature article and the "Comments" about the article by other readers . . .
(found below the article itself)

"Oldest American Artefact Unearthed"
<http://www.nature.com/news/2009/091105/full/news.2009.1058.html>

Questions:

1. What do you think is the most important point made by the readers who have commented on the article?

2. Why?

3. What do you expect will be the importance of the new discovery in the long run?"

4. Why?

PCforum
<http://www.d.umn.edu/~troufs/PCforum/>

Be sure to set your "Folder Selector"
in the main window
to the current topic
[use the “Reload/Main button" to get to the main window]

Set Folder Selector to Topic 7

REM: If you have any questions, you can post them on the PCforum
or bring them up in class

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PCforum: Topic 8
Midterm Exam Part II

For Topic 8, have a look at the Exam II information at <http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth1602/pcexamsTR.html>

Understanding Humans, 10^ed, p. iii

The basic exam is multiple-choice, but an optional essay exam is available

sample optional essay exam questions

Click on the various items for details

Review: Recommendations on how to study slides

and

Review the materials

in your text
in your class notes
on the video viewing guides--DAY
or on the video viewing guides--CEE
and on the handouts

Then post some meaningful questions, or discussion of questions, on the PCforum

Useful Information:

Text Assignments Summary for Weeks 07 - 10
UMD Study Strategies
test taking strategies
learning styles
listening skills
notetaking
special facilities / arrangements
basic information about the text
Resources from the Publisher
Sample Multiple-Choice Exam Questions
Sample Essay Exam Questions (optional)
extra help with exams

Be sure to set your "Folder Selector"
in the main window
to the current topic
[use the “Reload/Main button" to get to the main window]

Set Folder Selector to Topic 8

REM: If you have any questions, you can post them on the PCforum
or bring them up in class

to top of page / A-Z index

Features of the Day

(to Old Business)

nlt 7:27 video

Children of Eve
(58 min., 1987, CC, VC 961)

The first part of this video is a good review for the Final Exam. Dates change rapidly in Prehistoric Cultures; ignore the dates in this video. The latest dates are included in "Times to Remember."
Cf, Week 13 for presentation of opposing argument, the "Regional Continuity," or the "Multiregional Hypothesis," concerning the development from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens

"An artist's impression of Mitochondrial Eve
who probably lived in Africa,
about 150,000 years ago."
Wikipedia

"Structure of a
generalized eukaryotic cell,
illustrating
the cell's
three-dimensional nature."

As you view the videos over the remainder of the semester pay attention to . . .

the actual content of the various finds
archaeological field methods and techniques
laboratory methods and techniques
- including reconstruction techniques, and . . .
archaeological dating techniques
theoretical / interpretative approaches
- including logic of analysis

More information on methods is contained in the text and in the methods slides:

Weeks	Methods and Techniques Slides
07 - 08	Some Important Concepts (slides 11B)
08	Special Skills:
		In the Field (slides 10A)
		In the Lab (slides 10B)
		In the Field and Lab (slides 10C)
12	Archaeological Dating Methods (slides 10D)
	Other Methods of Analysis (slides 10E)

Homo erectus and Contemporaries

Week
CEE Day
Homo erecti Slides

Major Discoveries slides: Homo erectus and "The Hobbit"

09 17
Homo erectus: "Java Man" (slides 25)

Homo erectus in China: "Peking Man" (slides 26A)

European Homo erectus (slides 26B)

African Homo erectus (slides 26C)

09 18
Migrations Out of Africa (slides 26D)

"Hobbit" (slides)

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Old Business

Monday 2 November 2002: Returned and reviewed exams, discusses extra credit options; reviewed "terms/concepts" and "notes" for The Making of Mankind: One Small Step (55 min., 1981, VC 398); discussed Special Skills: In the Lab (slides 10B) up to Muscle Reconstruction Specialists. Viewed Origins of Homo Sapiens: East African Roots (47 min., 1997, VC 3641, pt. 2), but did not review "terms/concepts" or "notes." Review "terms/concepts" and "notes" for Origins of Homo Sapiens: East African Roots next time.

Weeks

Methods and Techniques Slides

07 - 08 Some Important Concepts (slides 11B)

08 Special Skills:

In the Field (slides 10A)

In the Lab (slides 10B)

In the Field and Lab (slides 10C)

12
Archaeological Dating Methods (slides 10D)

Other Methods of Analysis (slides 10E)

Early Hominids in the Plio-Pleistocene

Handout: Fossil Hominids in the Pleistocene

Week Early Hominins Slides

Major Discoveries slides: Prehistoric Primates -- Pre Homo sapiens sapiens
(slides 01B-Primates_Prehistoric_Pre-Hss)

09 Introduction to Early Hominins (slides 17A)

A Walk Through Hominin Evolution (slides 17B)

"Putting it all Together" (slides 17C)

Lucy, The First Family, and Friends (slides 18)

Australopithecus Hunting and Foraging (slides 19)

Early Homo (Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis) (slides 20)

return to scheduled features of the day

to top of page / A-Z index

Assignments

Read:	Ch. 11, "Premodern Humans," pp. 255-282
Post:	PCforum

to top of page / A-Z index

Notes

Monday 2 November 2002: Returned and reviewed exams, discusses extra credit options; reviewed "terms/concepts" and "notes" for The Making of Mankind: One Small Step (55 min., 1981, VC 398); discussed Special Skills: In the Lab (slides 10B) up to Muscle Reconstruction Specialists. Viewed Origins of Homo Sapiens: East African Roots (47 min., 1997, VC 3641, pt. 2), but did not review "terms/concepts" or "notes." Review "terms/concepts" and "notes" for Origins of Homo Sapiens: East African Roots next time.

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