anthropology

The actual fossil remains of Lucy, arguably the most famous Australopithecus afarensis, were sent from their home in Ethiopia several years ago to the United States for public viewing in the Houston Museum of Natural Science and on to several other museums. A huge amount of controversy was generated by the decision of the Ethiopian government to send the remains without the consent of Ethiopian anthropologists.

Read (If clicking the link doesn’t work, copy and paste the link into your browser.)

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1656226,00.html

http://www.chron.com/news/houston–texas/article/Ethiopians-in-Houston-decry-debut-of-Lucy-fossil-1584485.php 

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lucy-496080-human-ethiopia.html

Listen/Read  

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13864812 

      Topic

      Please write a one-page response in which you answer the following questions. What was the controversy over exhibiting the fossil remains of “Lucy” in Houston and the United States? What are the arguments on both sides? Which side do you feel is justified and why? 

Instructions

• Your essay should be at least three paragraphs long. A paragraph has three sentences minimum, but this is not considered a well-developed length. 
• Use evidence and examples to support your ideas. Use quotes as evidence, and explain why you have used them.
• You should use at least two sources, cited in a references list at the bottom of the assignment. You must use your own words to write this assignment, otherwise it is considered plagiarism and can carry severe academic consequences. If you use quotes from another author, simply cite the author’s words by using quotations and making a reference at the end of the quote, like this: “The anthropologist discovered bodies in the tomb” (Jones 1992).

Explore the Olduwan and Acheulean toolmaking traditions, learn about Stone Age technology, and read about contemporary research on stone tools and tool making. (If clicking the link doesn’t work, copy and paste the link into your browser.)

The Olduwan Tool Industry

http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior/tools/early-tools

http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/minigalleries/handaxes/intro.shtml  

Acheulean Handaxes

http://home.online.nl/marco.langbroek/acheul.html

Smithsonian Institute: Stone Tools

http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior/tools

Research on Stone Tools

http://www.stoneageinstitute.org/research.html#.VpfmjdbgS2w

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/december-2012/article/scientists-research-first-stone-tool-industries-in-olduvai-gorge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G78ouDDuJw (Experimental Archaeology – Note: graphic video) 

Topic

Write a one-page response in which you answer the following questions. How simple are Olduwan tools? What is the major difference between Olduwan and Acheulean tools? What kinds of research about stone tools and toolmaking are currently being done?

Instructions

• Your one-page response should fully answer each of the questions posed. Be sure to read through the background information before completing your response.
• You must cite any sources used.