The Aurignacian technocomplex represents one of the earliest Anatomically Modern Human populations in Europe. This cultural tradition dates from approximately 43,000 to 35,000 years ago. The...Show moreThe Aurignacian technocomplex represents one of the earliest Anatomically Modern Human populations in Europe. This cultural tradition dates from approximately 43,000 to 35,000 years ago. The technological differences observed between the earliest two phases of this tradition indicate distinctly separate cultural phases known as the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian. Zooarchaeological evidence from southwest European cave sites suggest a larger focus on reindeer for subsistence than other mammal taxa during the Early Aurignacian in comparison to Protoaurignacian sites, but it is not yet clear whether this represents a culture-wide shift from generalized hunting strategy to specialization. This thesis explores the evidence for a shift towards specialization from Proto- to Early Aurignacian by collecting faunal assemblage data from seven Proto and eight Early Aurignacian assemblages from ten different sites found across southwestern Europe, and statistically comparing the taxonomic and body-size diversity between the Protoaurignacian and Early Aurignacian phases. I found a significant average reduction in taxonomic diversity and evenness indices from Protoaurignacian to Early Aurignacian, suggesting a shift from a more “generalized” hunting strategy employed by the Protoaurignacian to a “specialized” hunting strategy by the Early Aurignacian. This appeared driven by a preference for the particular ungulate taxon, Rangifer tarandus (reindeer), and not necessarily a preference for reindeer body size. Although additional considerations warrant further investigations, the evidence gleaned from this study strongly imply a deliberate emphasis on particular animal species for sustenance and/or material resources during the Early Aurignacian phase in the southwestern region of Europe.Show less
Great Zimbabwe is an imposing site located to the north of the border between modern day ZImbabwe and South Africa. This site has long been an interest in academia, which has led to differing views...Show moreGreat Zimbabwe is an imposing site located to the north of the border between modern day ZImbabwe and South Africa. This site has long been an interest in academia, which has led to differing views of the socio-political nature of the city. Where one sees it as a capital city of a kingdom, some else sees it as a lone standing polity in the ZImbabwe cultural zone. However what does become clear are the large trading networks this site is a part of. There are imports of Chinese porcelain, coins minted on the Swahili coast, and an abundance of glass beads. Not only that but there are beads produced from gold, ostrich eggshell and Achatina (land snail) shells. All of these beads have been studied on their own, but the results from this research often point to the exchange networks. This research tries to combine the different types of beads recovered from sites associated with the Zimbabwe culture, in a literature review to gain a better understanding of what the socio-political dynamics in Great Zimbabwe looked like and how they may have played out. The data gathered for this research mainly point to the divide between social classes. Where golden beads were solely for the elite classes, glass beads and shell beads do show that these objects were not only for the elite groups, but could have been worn by non-elite groups as well. The glass beads further indicate the control that the ruling class had on the trade of beads, while they might have had the best looking version, these beads did trickle down to the rest of the inhabitants as well,, while shell beads were accessible to anyone. This research will not offer an answer to what the exact political nature was of the Great Zimbabwe government, but it opens up the discourse on this topic, in the hopes that it might be developed further, to get to the point in which beads can give an answer to this questionShow less
