Archaeobiology

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Archaeobiology, the study of the biology of ancient times through archaeological materials, is a

palaeontology is mainly one of date: archaeobiologists typically work with more recent, non-fossilised
material found at archaeological sites. Only very rarely are archaeobiological excavations performed at sites with no sign of human presence.

Flora and Fauna in Archaeology

The prime interest of

macrofauna and microfauna. Microfauna are better indicators of climate and environmental change than larger species. These can be as small as a bug or as big as a fish or bird. Macrofauna helps archaeologists build a picture of past human diet.[5]

Bacteria and Protists in Archaeology

Protists form two separate kingdoms, but both are fairly similar when compared. Bacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms, while protists are a group of eukaryotic organisms. Because both are microorganisms, both fall under the study of microbiology
and special techniques are required for archaeologists to even see them. Archaeologists, in order to find these microorganisms in a site, have to first take samples from the site and bring them in for lab analysis.
strata, archaeologists can determine the age of the microorganisms.[8]

Paleomycology

fungi in the fossil record. The study of past fungi can lead to the evolutionary past. Much of fungi are made up of parasites of animals, plants or insects. Most of the contemporary fungi resemble its ancestors, dating back over a million years ago. For example, “In the Dominican amber, a mosquito was found with several types of parasitic fungi growing on its outside cuticle. What is interesting is that the fungi resemble modern day fungi in class Trichomycetes, which are common gut-inhabiting zygomycetes of insects, but they differ from Trichomycetes in that the fungi are on the outside of the insect rather than the inside.” The study of ancient fungi can be used to track the evolution of fungi through millions of years.[9]

Osteology in Archaeology

The study of osteology is a study of bones and can be a subdiscipline in archeology. Osteologists in archeology reconstruct bones of humans or animals from the past to find more about the past civilizations. Osteology is used in archaeology to determine the age, gender, and ethnicity of the remains. It is also helpful to rebuild past societies’ cultural background. Osteology shares past activities pursued by the ancient cultures including human and animal migrations as well as warfare.[10] Using the remains from the past can help modern archaeologist uncover the past from what they ate to their daily activities. This can help uncover the mysteries of past histories.[11]

Animals in Archaeology

Zooarchaeology: comparing an archaeological bone to a modern bone in a comparative collection

The study of animal remains in archaeology teaches how humans and animals interacted with one another in prehistoric times. This gives an insight on how humans began domesticating animals. In zooarchaeology, studies will show the animal and human husbandry, as well as the process of cultures adding animals into their diets.[12] Studying animals in archaeology requires the help from different fields such as zoology, anthropology, paleontology, osteology, and anatomy.[13] Zooarchaeologists gather and observe the fragments of the bones from reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and birds around an archaeological site. Thus, they will gather context clues on how humans and animals subsided together within their environment. Through the years, humans have learned the basics of how to domesticate, breed, hunt and consume animals.[14] This area in archaeology informs others on how humans have evolved into manipulating animals throughout prehistory and beyond.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-133-60864-6
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  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-500-28713-2
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  3. ISBN 978-0-500-28713-2
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  4. ISBN 978-0-500-28713-2
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  5. ISBN 978-0-500-28713-2
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  6. ^ Herring, Angela (22 October 2013). "Ancient bacteria go under the lens". Northeaster.edu. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  7. ^ Weiner, Stephen (2010). Microarchaeology: Beyond the Visible Archaeological Record.
  8. ^ Powell, Devin (2 January 2013). "Bacterial traces from 3.5 billion years ago are oldest fossils; experts say". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  9. ^ Hodge, Kathie. "Paleomycology: Discovering the fungal contemporaries of dinosaurs". Cornell University. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  10. OCLC 1076633117.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  11. ^ Mackinnon, Michael (July 2007). "Osteological Research in Classical Archaeology" (PDF). State of the Discipline: 1. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  12. OCLC 1110449832. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  13. OCLC 1105437265
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  14. ISSN 2150-6779
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