Kansyore pottery is a type of ancient East African pottery .
58-610: Archaeological sites with Kansyore pottery are the only hunter-gatherer sites associated with large quantities of ceramics in East Africa before the advent of food production between 3000 and 2000 BC. Furthermore, archeologists Dale and Ashley have proposed earlier dates that suggest the Kansyore people were among the earliest ceramic-using hunter-gatherers in East Africa. Research into Kansyore culture has suggested that
116-596: A slippery slope scenario in his style guide that, "if we do end by casting aside the AD/BC convention, almost certainly some will argue that we ought to cast aside as well the conventional numbering system [that is, the method of numbering years] itself, given its Christian basis." Some Christians are offended by the removal of the reference to Jesus, including the Southern Baptist Convention . The abbreviation BCE, just as with BC, always follows
174-494: A Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and that will contain both locational information and a combination of various information. This tool is very helpful to archaeologists who want to explore in a different area and want to see if anyone else has done research. They can use this tool to see what has already been discovered. With this information available, archaeologists can expand their research and add more to what has already been found. Traditionally, sites are distinguished by
232-648: A generic sense, to refer to "the common era of the Jews". The first use of the phrase "before the common era" may be that in a 1770 work that also uses common era and vulgar era as synonyms, in a translation of a book originally written in German. The 1797 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica uses the terms vulgar era and common era synonymously. In 1835, in his book Living Oracles , Alexander Campbell , wrote: "The vulgar Era, or Anno Domini;
290-626: A matter of convenience. There is so much interaction between people of different faiths and cultures – different civilizations, if you like – that some shared way of reckoning time is a necessity. And so the Christian Era has become the Common Era. Adena K. Berkowitz, in her application to argue before the United States Supreme Court , opted to use BCE and CE because, "Given the multicultural society that we live in,
348-413: A part of the archaeological record . Sites may range from those with few or no remains visible above ground, to buildings and other structures still in use. Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a "site" can vary widely, depending on the period studied and the theoretical approach of the archaeologist. It is almost invariably difficult to delimit a site. It is sometimes taken to indicate
406-715: A period of 138 years in which the traditional BC/AD dating notation was used. BCE/CE is used by the College Board in its history tests, and by the Norton Anthology of English Literature . Others have taken a different approach. The US-based History Channel uses BCE/CE notation in articles on non-Christian religious topics such as Jerusalem and Judaism . The 2006 style guide for the Episcopal Diocese Maryland Church News says that BCE and CE should be used. In June 2006, in
464-683: A sequence of natural geological or organic deposition, in the absence of human activity, to constitute a site worthy of study. Archaeological sites usually form through human-related processes but can be subject to natural, post-depositional factors. Cultural remnants which have been buried by sediments are, in many environments, more likely to be preserved than exposed cultural remnants. Natural actions resulting in sediment being deposited include alluvial (water-related) or aeolian (wind-related) natural processes. In jungles and other areas of lush plant growth, decomposed vegetative sediment can result in layers of soil deposited over remains. Colluviation ,
522-446: A settlement of some sort, although the archaeologist must also define the limits of human activity around the settlement. Any episode of deposition, such as a hoard or burial, can form a site as well. Development-led archaeology undertaken as cultural resources management has the disadvantage (or the benefit) of having its sites defined by the limits of the intended development. Even in this case, however, in describing and interpreting
580-453: A site worthy of study. Different archaeologists may see an ancient town, and its nearby cemetery as being two different sites, or as being part of the same wider site. The precepts of landscape archaeology attempt to see each discrete unit of human activity in the context of the wider environment, further distorting the concept of the site as a demarcated area. Furthermore, geoarchaeologists or environmental archaeologists would also consider
638-439: A specialized subsistence economy based on aquatic food. Furthermore, the subsistence strategy of fish and shellfish is the result of seasonal exploitation of food sources: river sites were exploited for fishing during the wet season [1], while lake sites were exploited during the dry season for the collection of shellfish and easily caught fish. Kansyore pottery's uniqueness is a result of applied tools and techniques. This caused
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#1732773341924696-608: A tyrant who persecuted Christians. He numbered years from an initial reference date (" epoch "), an event he referred to as the Incarnation of Jesus. Dionysius labeled the column of the table in which he introduced the new era as " Anni Domini Nostri Jesu Christi " (Of the year of our Lord Jesus Christ]. This way of numbering years became more widespread in Europe with its use by Bede in England in 731. Bede also introduced
754-500: Is a branch of survey becoming more and more popular in archaeology, because it uses different types of instruments to investigate features below the ground surface. It is not as reliable because although they can see what is under the surface of the ground, it does not produce the best picture. Archaeologists still have to dig up the area in order to uncover the truth. There are also two most common types of geophysical survey, which is, magnetometer and ground penetrating radar. Magnetometry
812-480: Is a direct reference to Jesus as Lord . Proponents of the Common Era notation assert that the use of BCE/CE shows sensitivity to those who use the same year numbering system as the one that originated with and is currently used by Christians , but who are not themselves Christian. Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has argued: [T]he Christian calendar no longer belongs exclusively to Christians. People of all faiths have taken to using it simply as
870-466: Is emphasized. For example, in Usenge 3, the upper layers of deposit including terrestrial animals, such as cattle, overlaid a Kansyore shell midden. In addition to the terrestrial animals, the Kansyore ceramics in the upper layers of deposit depicted a decline in decoration and technological quality. This is taken as evidence for social contact with late hunter-gatherer-fishers and farming societies. Thus, in
928-476: Is identified at Usenge 3 and Trench 2 in Siror. Again, artifacts radiocarbon dates, ranging from 3310 +/1 40 BP and 3240 +/- 70 BP, supports Dale's sequence of the Kansyore tradition. Missing in the sequence is a phase for the middle Kansyore period because more research is needed to develop a full picture of change, yet the dating provided by the sequence allows reconstruction of the Kansyore tradition. Research into
986-666: Is illustrated at sites such as Siror, Pundo, and Usenge 1. In Siror dated material corroborate with Dale's and Ashley's sequence of the Early Phase. For example, a radiocarbon date of charcoal , found in Trench 1, is dated to 5468-5299 BC. The typology of ceramics found in the Early phase at Siror is the punctate motif, while the Late Terminal phase shows a high frequency of the rocker-stamp motif. The Late Terminal Kansyore Phase
1044-485: Is in particularly common use in Nepal in order to disambiguate dates from the local calendar, Bikram or Vikram Sambat. Disambiguation is needed because the era of the local calendar is quite close to the Common Era. In 2002, an advisory panel for the religious education syllabus for England and Wales recommended introducing BCE/CE dates to schools, and by 2018 some local education authorities were using them. In 2018,
1102-569: Is the cause for the chronology, and the dating for Kansyore pottery from East Africa suggest that it was a long lived tradition. Chronology is important to Dale's and Ashley's research. With their findings, they were able to ascertain two phases of the Kansyore tradition. First is the Early Phase, which was 5468-5299 cal. BC. Second is the Late Terminal Kansyore Phase, which dates to the mid-second millennium BC and terminal second early first millennia cal BC. The Early Phase
1160-629: Is the technique of measuring and mapping patterns of magnetism in the soil. It uses an instrument called a magnetometer, which is required to measure and map traces of soil magnetism. The ground penetrating radar is a method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures. There are many other tools that can be used to find artifacts, but along with finding artifacts, archaeologists have to make maps. They do so by taking data from surveys, or archival research and plugging it into
1218-655: The Gregorian calendar without the AD prefix. As early as 1825, the abbreviation VE (for Vulgar Era) was in use among Jews to denote years in the Western calendar. As of 2005 , Common Era notation has also been in use for Hebrew lessons for more than a century. Jews have also used the term Current Era . Some academics in the fields of theology , education , archaeology and history have adopted CE and BCE notation despite some disagreement. A study conducted in 2014 found that
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#17327733419241276-464: The Lake Victoria basin. Most sites associated with Kansyore pottery are near bodies of water, such as rivers or lakes . Assemblages are “loosely concentrated” around Lake Victoria , including sites at the following locations: The concentration of Kansyore pottery in geographical areas associated with water is indicative of the hunter-gatherers' lifestyles. This settlement pattern suggests
1334-723: The National Trust said it would continue to use BC/AD as its house style. English Heritage explains its era policy thus: "It might seem strange to use a Christian calendar system when referring to British prehistory, but the BC/AD labels are widely used and understood." Some parts of the BBC use BCE/CE, but some presenters have said they will not. As of October 2019, the BBC News style guide has entries for AD and BC, but not for CE or BCE. The style guide for The Guardian says, under
1392-614: The date of birth of Jesus . Since the year numbers are the same, BCE and CE dates should be equally offensive to other religions as BC and AD. Roman Catholic priest and writer on interfaith issues Raimon Panikkar argued that the BCE/CE usage is the less inclusive option since they are still using the Christian calendar numbers and forcing it on other nations. In 1993, the English-language expert Kenneth G. Wilson speculated
1450-596: The BCE/CE notation is not growing at the expense of BC and AD notation in the scholarly literature, and that both notations are used in a relatively stable fashion. In 2011, media reports suggested that the BC/AD notation in Australian school textbooks would be replaced by BCE/CE notation. The change drew opposition from some politicians and church leaders. Weeks after the story broke, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority denied
1508-579: The Christian Era, it was sometimes qualified, e.g., "common era of the Incarnation", "common era of the Nativity", or "common era of the birth of Christ". An adapted translation of Common Era into Latin as Era Vulgaris was adopted in the 20th century by some followers of Aleister Crowley , and thus the abbreviation "e.v." or "EV" may sometimes be seen as a replacement for AD. Although Jews have their own Hebrew calendar , they often use
1566-495: The Gregorian Calendar as BCE and CE without compromising their own beliefs about the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth." In History Today , Michael Ostling wrote: "BC/AD Dating: In the year of whose Lord? The continuing use of AD and BC is not only factually wrong but also offensive to many who are not Christians." Critics note the fact that there is no difference in the epoch of the two systems—chosen to be close to
1624-582: The Kansyore entity. Significant non-ceramic artifacts found associated with Kansyore pottery are: The fact that Kansyore pottery was found in varying contexts and with other artifacts illustrates transition and change. This is seen in the Early Phase of the Kansyore. To illustrate, 8 rounded pebbles were found in one test pit at Pundo, their function range from grinding red ochre to grinding plants. Bone points used for fishing were discovered at Usenge 1 and Pundo, and personal adornment , such as bone or shell beads, were found at Usenge 1, Pundo, and Siror. Thus,
1682-406: The Kansyore has provided more insight into the lifeways of those who created the pottery. Artifacts , such as pottery, in which the originators are no longer tangible entities, allow archaeologists the ability to interpret it. Dale and Ashley illustrate the difference between Early and Late Kansyore by using ceramic and non-ceramic archaeological material from Siror, and at the same time speak about
1740-525: The Later Terminal Kansyore Phase, the fishing to hunting society was going through a local change brought on by contact with other societies. Archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents
1798-625: The United States, the Kentucky State School Board reversed its decision to use BCE and CE in the state's new Program of Studies, leaving education of students about these concepts a matter of local discretion. The use of CE in Jewish scholarship was historically motivated by the desire to avoid the implicit "Our Lord" in the abbreviation AD . Although other aspects of dating systems are based in Christian origins, AD
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1856-583: The area, and if they have the money and time for the site, they can start digging. There are many ways to find sites, one example can be through surveys. Surveys involve walking around analyzing the land and looking for artifacts. It can also involve digging, according to the Archaeological Institute of America, "archaeologists actively search areas that were likely to support human populations, or in places where old documents and records indicate people once lived." This helps archaeologists in
1914-428: The burial of a site by sediments moved by gravity (called hillwash ) can also happen at sites on slopes. Human activities (both deliberate and incidental) also often bury sites. It is common in many cultures for newer structures to be built atop the remains of older ones. Urban archaeology has developed especially to deal with these sorts of site. Many sites are the subject of ongoing excavation or investigation. Note
1972-686: The ceramic assemblages found at the sites stated above belong to the Kansyore tradition. This cannot be said for other ceramic assemblages. For instance, it was believed that Kansyore pottery was discovered at the Lukenya Hill and Salasun sites. However, Collett and Robertshaw used the Gogo Falls collection as a reference, and were able to subscribe the ceramics in the central Rift Valley to the Nderit tradition . The above-mentioned comparisons show that some assemblages have been wrongly identified as
2030-548: The culture differs from other known East African Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers ( LSA ). The Kansyore communities of the LSA are marked by ceramics and a settlement pattern based on the exploitation of resources from the shorelines of lakes or rivers. This utilization of aquatic resources may have fostered a sedentary culture and the production of Kansyore pottery. Kansyore ceramics have been found in East Africa ( Kenya , Uganda , Tanzania , and southeastern Sudan ) and throughout
2088-450: The culture of the pottery makers. Thus, in the early phase of Siror, the large quantities of fish bones suggest that many people who had a fish-based subsistence economy occupied the site. As stated above, ceramic evidence at the early phase was punctate, but shifted to rocker-stamped motif in the later Kansyore period. With the shift in ceramic decoration, more emphasis on terrestrial mammals for subsistence became apparent. The transition to
2146-418: The dates briefed above has caused many to question the validity of the Kansyore tradition. D.P Collett and P.T. Robertshaw assert that "dates associated with Kansyore assemblages cover a long period." Their recounting of Mehlmans' skepticism, however, results from the fact that "either a very conservative tradition or large dating errors" disallow for accurate chronology. Evidence suggest that the former reasoning
2204-405: The design of the pottery to display distinct decorations that covered most of the exterior surface. The vessels themselves run a spectrum from medium-sized to hemispherical bowls with varying rim designs, such as rounded, tapered, and occasionally spurred. To classify, Dale developed an approach to identify Kansyore pottery: Within each of these categories certain techniques were applied to achieve
2262-533: The desired design. For example, in the appliqué technique clay pieces were attached to the clay body in circular or oblong shapes, yet within the motifs categories were many variations. The Kansyore collection from Gogo Falls is the largest known example of well-preserved Kansyore pottery, and it has been used as a reference for comparisons. Collett and Robertshaw applied the Kansyore collection from Gogo Falls to resolve classification issues with ceramics from Kantsyore Island , Nyang'oma , and Mumba-Hohle . Thus,
2320-480: The difference between archaeological sites and archaeological discoveries. Common Era Common Era ( CE ) and Before the Common Era ( BCE ) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar ), the world's most widely used calendar era . Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the original Anno Domini (AD) and Before Christ (BC) notations used for
2378-468: The early 20th century. The phrase "common era", in lower case , also appeared in the 19th century in a "generic" sense, not necessarily to refer to the Christian Era, but to any system of dates in common use throughout a civilization. Thus, "the common era of the Jews", "the common era of the Mahometans", "common era of the world", "the common era of the foundation of Rome". When it did refer to
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2436-428: The entry for CE/BCE: "some people prefer CE (common era, current era, or Christian era) and BCE (before common era, etc.) to AD and BC, which, however, remain our style". In the United States, the use of the BCE/CE notation in textbooks was reported in 2005 to be growing. Some publications have transitioned to using it exclusively. For example, the 2007 World Almanac was the first edition to switch to BCE/CE, ending
2494-486: The fourth year of Jesus Christ, the first of which was but eight days", and also refers to the common era as a synonym for vulgar era with "the fact that our Lord was born on the 4th year before the vulgar era, called Anno Domini, thus making (for example) the 42d year from his birth to correspond with the 38th of the common era". The Catholic Encyclopedia (1909) in at least one article reports all three terms (Christian, Vulgar, Common Era) being commonly understood by
2552-420: The future. In case there is no time or money during the site's discovery, archaeologists can come back and visit the site for further digging to find out the extent of the site. Archaeologist can also sample randomly within a given area of land as another form of conducting surveys. Surveys are very useful, according to Jess Beck, "it can tell you where people were living at different points in the past." Geophysics
2610-423: The mid-19th century by Jewish religious scholars. Since the late 20th century, BCE and CE have become popular in academic and scientific publications on the grounds that BCE and CE are religiously neutral terms. They have been promoted as more sensitive to non-Christians by not referring to Jesus , the central figure of Christianity , especially via the religious terms " Christ " and Dominus ("Lord") used by
2668-470: The non-ceramic artifacts indicate that specialized materials were already being made before the introduction of pottery. The chronology for Kansyore has been a source of discourse for many archaeologists. Dates for Kansyore cover 6000 years with the earliest dates, 7819 to 6590 cal. BC , coming from Luanda in Kenya , while the latest dates, AD 1-120, coming from Wadh Lang'o. The overbearing time frame of
2726-470: The other abbreviations. Nevertheless, its epoch remains the same as that used for the Anno Domini era. The idea of numbering years beginning from the date that he believed to be the date of birth of Jesus , was conceived around the year 525 by the Christian monk Dionysius Exiguus . He did this to replace the then dominant Era of Martyrs system, because he did not wish to continue the memory of
2784-477: The practice of dating years before what he supposed was the year of birth of Jesus, without a year zero . In 1422, Portugal became the last Western European country to switch to the system begun by Dionysius. The term "Common Era" is traced back in English to its appearance as " Vulgar Era" to distinguish years of the Anno Domini era, which was in popular use, from dates of the regnal year (the year of
2842-471: The presence of both artifacts and features . Common features include the remains of hearths and houses. Ecofacts , biological materials (such as bones, scales, and even feces) that are the result of human activity but are not deliberately modified, are also common at many archaeological sites. In the cases of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, a mere scatter of flint flakes will also constitute
2900-507: The reign of a sovereign) typically used in national law. (The word 'vulgar' originally meant 'of the ordinary people', with no derogatory associations. ) The first use of the Latin term anno aerae nostrae vulgaris may be that in a 1615 book by Johannes Kepler . Kepler uses it again, as ab Anno vulgaris aerae , in a 1616 table of ephemerides , and again, as ab anno vulgaris aerae , in 1617. A 1635 English edition of that book has
2958-595: The rumours and stated that the BC/AD notation would remain, with CE and BCE as an optional suggested learning activity. In 2013, the Canadian Museum of Civilization (now the Canadian Museum of History) in Gatineau (opposite Ottawa ), which had previously switched to BCE/CE, decided to change back to BC/AD in material intended for the public while retaining BCE/CE in academic content. The notation
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#17327733419243016-545: The same calendar era. The two notation systems are numerically equivalent: "2024 CE" and "AD 2024" each describe the current year; "400 BCE" and "400 BC" are the same year. The expression can be traced back to 1615, when it first appears in a book by Johannes Kepler as the Latin : annus aerae nostrae vulgaris ( year of our common era ), and to 1635 in English as " Vulgar Era". The term "Common Era" can be found in English as early as 1708, and became more widely used in
3074-729: The site, the archaeologist will have to look outside the boundaries of the building site. According to Jess Beck in "How Do Archaeologists Find Sites?" the areas with numerous artifacts are good targets for future excavation, while areas with a small number of artifacts are thought to reflect a lack of past human activity. Many areas have been discovered by accident. The most common people who have found artifacts are farmers who are plowing their fields or just cleaning them up, and they often find archaeological artifacts. Many people who are out hiking and even pilots find artifacts, and they usually end up reporting them to archaeologists for further investigation. When they find sites, they have to first record
3132-492: The title page in English that may be the earliest-found use of Vulgar Era in English. A 1701 book edited by John Le Clerc includes the phrase "Before Christ according to the Vulgar Æra, 6". The Merriam Webster Dictionary gives 1716 as the date of first use of the term "vulgar era" (which it defines as Christian era). The first published use of "Christian Era" may be the Latin phrase annus aerae christianae on
3190-480: The title page of a 1584 theology book, De Eucharistica controuersia . In 1649, the Latin phrase annus æræ Christianæ appeared in the title of an English almanac. A 1652 ephemeris may be the first instance found so far of the English use of "Christian Era". The English phrase "Common Era" appears at least as early as 1708, and in a 1715 book on astronomy it is used interchangeably with "Christian Era" and "Vulgar Era". A 1759 history book uses common æra in
3248-497: The traditional Jewish designations – B.C.E. and C.E. – cast a wider net of inclusion." In the World History Encyclopedia , Joshua J. Mark wrote "Non-Christian scholars, especially, embraced [CE and BCE] because they could now communicate more easily with the Christian community. Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist scholars could retain their [own] calendar but refer to events using
3306-472: The transition to ceramic use was slow and part of a process of change, by the Early Kansyore Phase, 5648-5299 cal. BC, it became a central part of the economy. Evidence for a shift in subsistence economy and social relations in the Later Terminal Kansyore Phase is seen in Siror and Usenge 3. At these sites, a decline of fish resource exploitation is experienced and a rise in terrestrial mammals
3364-424: The use of ceramics was not a swift transition. In fact, evidence shows that ceramic use was slowly applied and may have come after specialized subsistence economies. For instance, shell middens in Usenge 1 and Pundo show low ceramic density. Even more, non-ceramic artifacts, such as bone points, indicate that other material culture linked to specific activities and economies existed before ceramics. Nonetheless, even if
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