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- John J. Shea
Archaeology/Expert Profile
Expertise
Questions about Old World prehistoric archaeology (mainly Europe, Near East, and Africa during the Paleolithic period/Pleistocene Epoch). IMPORTANT: I do not give advice about colleges. I do not appraise the value of artifacts or fossils.
Experience in the area
University professor of anthropology/archaeology since 1991. Dozens of publications in peer-review anthropology journals. Director of archaeological-paleontological expeditions and excavations in Israel, Jordan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Kenya. See my main profile under Allexperts` "Anthropology" section. Professional website: http://www.sunysb.edu/anthro/staff/jshea.shtml Personal website: http://www.sunysb.edu/anthro/Shea/Shea%20pers%20webpage.htm
What do you like about this subject?
It combines the life of the mind with an active outdoors lifestyle.
What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?
I want to understand the relationship between prehistoric human behavioral variability and our species dispersal across the world.
Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:
Thomas Jefferson conducted one of the first archaeological excavations in America.
Something controversial or provocative about this subject
Archaeology is the remedy to just about every claim made about the past by religious fundamentalists, demagogic politicians, and crackpot scientists.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response T = Timeliness P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| He | 10/21/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Pedro | 08/18/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Very impressive and informative response. |
| Vincent | 06/05/09 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | Thank you very much. I know you ..... |
| Mitch | 03/04/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Fast response and very knowledgeable. Thanks so ..... |
| Jenus | 02/23/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Really fast answers! Thanks. |
Recent Answers from John J. Shea
2009-10-18 archaeology:
In Pleistocene times, when people made stone tools mainly by controlled conchoidal fracture. So, the kinds of rocks they selected were those that had concoidal fracture -rocks that were brittle, isotropic
2009-08-17 Origins of Archery:
Dear Pedro I am convinced the bow and arrow were initially developed in Subsaharan Africa, coming into widespread use there sometime between 50,000-100,000 years ago (50-100 Ka). The main proof of this
2009-05-18 Ground levels:
Julia Things like roads get buried in several ways either -sediment erodes onto them from higher elevations -organic remains (leaves, etc.) land on them and decompose -people bury them in the course
2009-03-04 Rate of decay - dating method?:
Mitch 1. In principle, yes. If you had clothing samples of sufficient age to date them with radiocarbon you could "calibrate" the rate at which the fabric samples decay. 2. No. It would have to be
2009-02-23 Possible moa skeleton:
Hi Jenus This shows the importance of context in archaeology and the perils of making assumptions. On the basis of the first question about it being a moa, I assumed the picture was from New Zealand
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