ANTH 202 exam 2
relative dates
Dates expressed relative to one another (for instance, earlier, later, more recent) instead of in absolute terms.
Which of the following type of evidence usually provides dates for historical sites? a. Geomorphological b. Faunal c. Documentary d. Floral
a. Geomorphological
Who introduced the index fossil concept to archaeology? a. Oscar Montelius. b. A. E. Douglas c. Willard Libby. d. Jeffrey Dean.
a. Oscar Montelius
Which of the following dating techniques helps to bridge the dating gap between radiocarbon and potassium argon dating? a. Thermoluminescence b. AMS dating c. Argon-argon d. None of the answers; there is no gap as radiocarbon and potassium-argon date the same age range of materials.
a. Thermoluminescence
22. In discussing temporal types, the text mentioned Cottonwood Triangular projectile points, which are essentially un-notched Desert Side-notched points. Why were Cottonwood Triangular points left un-notched? a. They were "war arrows," left un-notched so that they would remain in a body even after the shaft was pulled out. b. They were unfinished, intended to be later notched. c. They were made by novices or children who were not adept at notching points. d. None or any of the above; we do not know for certain why they were left un-notched.
a. They were "war arrows," left notched so that they would remain in a body even after the shaft was pulled out
6. Why is it possible to assess age at death from tooth eruption patterns in juvenile human skeletons? a. Because the pattern and timing of crown formation and tooth eruption is consistent among human populations. b. Because although the timing of crown formation and tooth eruption varies among human populations, it varies at known rates. c. It is only possible if the sex of the individual is also known, because tooth eruption patterns differ between males and females. d. None of the answers are correct.
a. because the pattern and timing of crown formation and tooth eruption is consistent among human populations
21. If you are excavating a culturally homogeneous stratum or set of strata within a single site, you are excavating a(n): a. component. b. assemblage. c. temporal type. d. period.
a. component
6. You are excavating a site in the Great Basin and you find a stratum that contains only Elko points. This indicates to you that the stratum dates to a particular period. The Elko point, in this example, can be referred to as a(n): a. functional type. b. temporal type. c. seriated type. d. morphological type.
a. functional type ?
The radiocarbon date 2850 +/- 40 BP suggests that there is a 66% chance that the true age: a. lies between 2810 and 2890 BP. b. is 2830 BP. c. lies between 2810 and 2850 BP. d. lies between 2850 and 2890 BP.
a. lies between 2810 and 2890 BP
20. The best bone for determining stature from human skeletal material is the: a. tibia. b. femur. c. ulna. d. radius.
b. femur
What is the index fossil concept? a. It allows widely separated strata to be correlated and assigned to the same time period if they contain the same fossils. b. It is the idea that strata containing similar fossil assemblages are of similar ages. c. It enables archaeologists to characterize and date strata within sites using distinctive artifact forms that research shows to be diagnostic of a particular period of time. d. All of the answers are correct.
b. it is the idea that strata containing similar fossil assemblages are of similar ages
What exactly does dendrochronology attempt to date? a. The year wood was last burned. b. The year that the tree was the healthiest, thus providing a signal of climatic amicability. c. The year a tree was used in to build a structure d. The year a tree was cut or died.
b. the year that the tree was the healthiest, thus providing a signal of climatic amicability
Electron spin resonance is a trapped charge dating method that is primarily used to date which of the following? a. bone organic matter. b. tooth enamel. c. volcanic ash. d. the last time sediments were exposed to light.
b. tooth enamel
2. The classification of artifacts into types that organize and simplify artifact variability is termed: a. attribute analysis. b. typology. c. phase designation. d. component designation.
b. typology
32. The novice's first job in the lab of an archaeological investigation is often a. piecing together ceramics. b. writing down minute number on artifacts or labels and entering the information into a database. c. analyzing pollen or residues of blood, plants, or other materials. d. reconstruction of skeletal remains.
b. writing down minute number on artifacts or labels and entering the information into a database
Which carbon isotope is the rarest? a. 12C b. 13C c. 14C d. None of the answers; carbon isotopes exist in the same proportions.
c. 14C
16. What can bioarchaeologists determine from enamel hypoplasias? a. How old a child was when the growth arrest event took place. b. The duration of the period of stress which resulted in the hypoplasia. c. Whether they resulted from physical trauma to the face, parasitic infection, or malnutrition. d. Both how old a child was when the growth arrest event took place and the duration of the period of stress which resulted in the hypoplasia.
c. Whether they resulted from physical trauma to the face, parasitic infection, or malnutrition
23. Total length, axial length, maximum width, basal width, maximum thickness, midsection thickness, proximal shoulder angle, notch opening, and neck width are examples of projectile point: a. phases. b. components. c. attributes. d. types.
c. attributes
What was it that radiocarbon dating was able to determine about the Shroud of Turin? a. was a modern forgery, created sometime in the 20th century. b. dates to the time of Christ. c. dates to medieval times, between AD 1260 and 1390. d. was created long before the time of Christ, although the exact date is uncertain because it lies at the practical limit of radiocarbon dating.
c. dates to medieval times, between AD 1260 and 1390
11. The number of attributes recorded during artifact analysis: a. is limited by the number of measurements possible, which is generally very few. b. is generally limited to those that are necessary to accomplish the purpose of the typology. c. is generally limited to those that provide an accurate description of artifact size, such as length, width, and thickness. d. is generally as many as possible, so that future analysts will not have to re-examine the artifacts to obtain the data they need to answer different research questions.
c. is generally limited to those that provide an accurate description of artifact size, such as length, width, and thickness
In what sense are "absolute dates" absolute? a. they can only say how much older or younger one site or artifact is than another. b. they place sites in relative order. c. they provide specific ages or age ranges. d. they cannot be disputed.
c. they provide specific ages or age ranges
21. The Stillwater Marsh burial population had a remarkably low percentage of dental caries because: a. grit from plant food ground on metates was incorporated into their diet; this grit acted as a natural abrasive and helped to clean their teeth. b. they ate very little meat, largely subsisting on maize agriculture. c. they were strictly hunter-gatherers, and so their diet was very low in simple carbohydrates and starches. d. None of the answers; the Stillwater Marsh burial population had an extremely high percentage of dental caries because their diet was high in carbohydrates.
c. they were strictly hunter-gatherers, and so their diet was very low in simple carbohydrates and starches
13. The "Frison Effect" explains the change in the shape of stone tools as a result of: a. different cultural groups occupying the same site at different times. b. different mental templates of different flintknappers within the same cultural group. c. tool resharpening. d. differences in stone tool typologies.
c. tool resharpening
12. Which of the following measurements could provide useful information about an artifact's size? a. Length b. Width c. Weight d. All of the answers are correct.
d. All of the above are correct
11. Which of the following is true of iron deficiency anemia? a. It can be induced by a lack of red meat in the diet, chronic diarrhea, or parasites. b. It can cause porotic hyperostosis, which results in the surface of the skull taking on a spongy appearance. c. It can cause cibra orbitalia, which results in the bone of the upper eye sockets taking on a spongy appearance. d. All of the answers are correct.
d. All of the answers are correct
28. Which of the following is known to be true of Shoshone pottery? a. It appears suddenly in many parts of the Desert West at about AD 1300 and similar pottery is manufactured until about AD 1860. b. The pottery was introduced by a migrating Shoshone population that replaced existing desert populations. c. The shift to pottery manufacture by Shoshone people was a direct result of changing environmental conditions that made ceramic vessels more efficient. d. All of the answers are correct.
????
7. If ceramic vessels are grouped together based on the fact they were all used as storage containers, in spite of the fact that design elements indicate they are from different time periods, then they have been grouped according to: a. functional type. b. morphological type. c. temporal type. d. space-time systematics.
?
27. Which of the following is true of the space-time systematics of North American archaeology? a. Space-time systematics is still the main focus of archaeological research, as basic spatial and temporal changes in material culture remain undocumented for much of North America. b. Space-time systematics has been largely worked out, and no longer preoccupies archaeology as it did in the first half of the 20th century. c. Space-time systematics is not very useful for North American archaeology, because material culture remained unchanged for long periods of time in many places. d. While space-time systematics has dominated European archaeology for the past century, its utility for North American archaeology is just now being recognized.
????
absolute date
A date expressed in specific units of scientific measurement, such as days, years, centuries, or millennia; absolute determinations attempting to pinpoint a discrete, known interval in time.
index fossil concept
The idea that strata containing similar fossil assemblages are of similar age. This concept enables archaeologists to characterize and date strata within sites using distinctive artifact forms that research shows to be diagnostic of a particular period of time.
What is a relative date? a. A date expressed as a specific unit of scientific measurement, such as days, years, centuries, or millennia. b. A date expressed relative to another (e.g., earlier, later, more recent, etc.) rather than in absolute terms. c. A date based on the occurrence of distinctive fossil assemblages in distinct strata. d. No longer useful for archaeology; absolute dates are necessary in order to provide a meaningful interpretation of an assemblage.
a date expressed relative to another (e.g., earlier, later, more recent, etc.) rather than in absolute terms.
Which of the following is not a trapped charge dating method? a. Accelerator mass spectrometry b. Thermoluminescence c. Optically stimulated luminescence d. Electron spin resonance
a. Accelerator mass spectrometry
37. Stone tools found in Neanderthal cave sites, divided into 63 types, including a variety of points, scrapers, knives, handaxes, and denticulates are termed a. Bordes, after the French archaeologist. b. Mousterian. c. Dibble, after the University of Pennsylvania investigator. d. Proximal.
a. Bordes, after the French archaeologist
24. Which of the following Great Basin projectile point series are arranged in the correct chronological order from youngest to oldest? a. Desert Side-notched, Rosegate series, Elko Corner-notched, Gatecliff Contracting Stem. b. Rosegate series, Elko Corner-notched, Gatecliff Contracting Stem, Cottonwood Triangular. c. Gatecliff Contracting Stem, Elko Corner-notched, Desert Side-notched, Rosegate series. d. Cottonwood Triangular, Elko Corner-notched, Rosegate series, Desert Side-notched.
a. Desert Side-notched, Rosegate series, Elko Corner-notched, Gatecliff Contacting Stem
Which of the following is a difference between optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and thermoluminescence (TL)? a. OSL dates the last time sediment was exposed to light, while TL dates the last time artifacts were heated. b. OSL dates the last time artifacts were heated, while TL dates the last time sediment was exposed to light. c. OSL relies on radiocarbon dating while TL is a trapped charge dating method. d. OSL is a trapped charge dating method while TL relies on radiocarbon dating.
a. OSL dates the last time sediment was exposed to light, while TL dates the last time artifacts were heated
What do the dark tree rings mean among alternating dark and light rings? a. a year's late summer/fall growth. b. a year's spring/summer growth. c. a result of fire scarring. d. a result of quick cell growth in climatically favorable conditions.
a. a year's late summer/fall growth
14. The typology of the French archaeologist François Bordes classified Mousterian tools into 63 types which occurred in set frequencies, creating four fundamental patterns. Bordes argued that these four patterns reflected four different cultural groups of Neanderthals. Bordes' typology: a. assumed that the stone tools were in their final intended form, rather than in forms that resulted from resharpening. b. was completely wrong, illustrating how poorly constructed typologies can lead a researcher astray. c. has stood the test of time; different "tribes" of Neanderthals are still thought to have been responsible for the different patterns of Mousterian artifacts. d. categorized morphological variation improperly; proper categorization would have resulted in a correct interpretation of the assemblages.
a. assumed that the stone tools were in their final intended form, rather than in forms that resulted from resharpening
39. Phases are a term archaeologists use to refer to a. culturally homogeneous units within a single site. b. archeological cultures. c. basic archaeological building blocks for regional synthesis. d. temporal types.
a. culturally homogeneous units within a single site
How does seriation differ from the index fossil concept? a. instead of relying on the presence or absence of distinctive kinds of artifacts, it relies on changes in the frequencies of artifacts or styles. b. instead of relying on changes in the frequencies of artifacts or styles, it relies on the presence or absence of distinctive kinds of artifacts. c. seriation applies only to pottery styles, while the index fossil concept can apply to all artifact facts. d. None of the answers; seriation is the same thing as the index fossil concept.
a. instead of relying on the presence or absence of distinctive kinds of artifacts, it relies on changes in the frequencies of artifacts or styles
8. A good typology will: a. minimize differences within each created type and maximize differences between each type. b. maximize differences within each created type and minimize differences between each type. c. result in abundant overlap between types. d. only be replicable by the archaeologist who created it.
a. minimize differences within each created type and maximize differences between each type
36. In a typology abstract, descriptive properties are called a. morphological types. b. temporal types. c. functional types. d. artifact types.
a. morphological types
14. If a bioarchaeologist finds evidence of osteoarthritis in which bones have developed a distinct "lipping" at the point of articulation, she or he has found: a. osteophytes. b. enamel hypoplasias. c. eburnation. d. Harris lines.
a. osteophytes
33. Typology is/are a. the systematic arrangement of material culture into types. b. the catalogued artifacts in a museum. c. another term for stone artifacts. d. a form of conservation technique.
a. the systematic arrangement of material culture into types
16. Which of the following do we know to be true about Desert Side-notched points and Cottonwood Triangular points? a. They both post-date AD 1300. b. Desert Side-notched points were designed for hunting bighorn sheep, while Cottonwood Triangular points were designed for hunting rabbits. c. Cottonwood Triangular points were unfinished, intended to be later notched, while Desert Side-notched points were already finished. d. Each represents a different cultural group living side by side at Gatecliff.
a. they both post date AD 1300 ??
18. How is mechanical stress, or workload, detectable in the human skeleton? a. Through signs of osteoarthritis in which the cartilage between joints wears away, often because of overuse of the joint b. Through growth arrest features, such as Harris lines and enamel hypoplasias c. Through mortality profiles that depict the various ages at death of a burial population d. All of the answers are correct.
a. through signs of osteoarthritis in which the cartilage between joints wears away, often because of overuse of the joint
7. What could a bioarchaeologist look at to determine the age at death of a juvenile human skeleton? a. Tooth eruption patterns b. Patterns of bone fusion c. Patterns of wear on the pubic symphysis d. Tooth eruption and bone fusion patterns
a. tooth eruption patterns
Why is a tree ring sequence only useful in the region in which it was developed? a. trees respond to climate and climate is regionally variable. b. researchers tend not to share their data with one another, and thus each area needs its own specialist. c. tree rings are partially conditioned by soil chemistry which can be highly variable over small distances. d. in order to be useful, tree rings must be calibrated using radiocarbon dating, and calibration curves are regionally specific.
a. trees respond to climate and climate is regionally variable
3. A class of archaeological artifacts defined by a consistent clustering of characteristics is a(n): a. type. b. attribute. c. component. d. phase.
a. type
Why is it that plants of similar ages and that grew in the same soil can produce different radiocarbon ages? a. use of different photosynthetic pathways. b. the reservoir effect c. De Vries effect d. problems with calibrating the radiocarbon curve.
a. use of different photosynthetic pathways
What makes tree-ring dating possible? a. variable tree ring widths preserve information about past climatic change and can be fit into a long-term chronological sequence. b. tree rings can simply be counted and subtracted from the present to determine the calendar date of the tree's death. c. all trees respond to climatic variability in the same way. d. All of the answers are correct.
a. variable tree ring widths preserve information about past climate change and can be fit into a long-term chronological sequence
Which of the follows best approximates the limits of radiocarbon dating? a. 25,000 years. b. 45,000 years. c. 125,000 years. d. 245,000 years.
b. 45,000 years
17. You are excavating a Native American human burial site which contains both males and females. After obtaining permission from current Native American tribes believed to have descended from these people, you analyze the bones. You notice a higher rate of osteoarthritis in the lumbar vertebrae of the female skeletons in comparison to the male skeletons. What might you conclude from this evidence? a. Females were doing more intense walking than the males, traveling far distances to gather plants. b. Females were putting more stress on their backs, perhaps from grinding corn or carrying children. c. Females did not have access to the same amount of high quality food as males, and were thus suffering from malnutrition. d. All of the answers are correct.
b. Females were putting more stress on their backs, perhaps from grinding corn or carrying children
If you were interested in examining trends in pottery style change through time which of the following methods would you use? a. Seriation b. Reverse stratigraphy c. Potassium-argon dating d. Argon-argon dating
b. Seriation
If the date of a historic site is undocumented, archaeologists might use which of the following techniques to provide a date? a. Pipe stem dating b. Terminus post quem dating c. Radiocarbon dating d. Pipe stem dating and Terminus post quem dating
b. Terminus post quem dating
15. The morphological projectile point types defined at Gatecliff became temporal types when: a. surface projectile point finds corresponded to point types found in stratified deposits. b. a series of radiocarbon dates determined the geological sequence at Gatecliff, and time ranges could then be assigned to the projectile point types. c. dendrochronological dating assigned exact years to projectile point types. d. thermoluminescence dated the stratified deposits in which the different projectile points were discovered.
b. a series of radiocarbon dates determined the geological sequence at Gatecliff, and time ranges could then be assigned to the projectile point types.
4. Which of the following is true of archaeological types? a. Archaeological types are assigned with the goal in mind of classifying objects in the same way that prehistoric populations would have classified them. b. Archaeological types are abstractions; the same object could be classified in many different ways. c. The most useful archaeological types are based on similarities in morphology. d. The most useful archaeological types are based on similarities in function.
b. archaeological types are abstractions; the same object could be classified in many different ways
20. If you are analyzing a collection of artifacts of one or several classes of materials (stone tools, ceramics, bones) that comes from a defined context such as a site, feature, or stratum, you are analyzing a(n): a. component. b. assemblage. c. phase. d. period.
b. assemblage
40. The principles of archaeological typology include: a. creating groups based on one or more attributes that maximize differences within each group. b. creating groups based on one or more attributes that minimize differences within each group. c. using subjective and nonreplicable processes. d. being "correct."
b. creating groups based on one or more attributes that minimize differences within each group
3. How does the sciatic notch of females differ from that of males? a. It is narrower in females and wider in males. b. It is wider in females and narrower in males. c. It is more sensitive to periods of physiological stress in females than in males. d. It is more sensitive to mechanical stresses in females than in males.
b. it is wider in females and narrower in males
9. You are examining a burial site, and are interested in the diet of the people, in particular, how much meat people were consuming on a daily basis. What might you examine? a. Quantity of groundstone in the burials b. Levels of Nitrogen-15 relative to Nitrogen-14 in the bones c. Size of muscle attachments on bones d. Levels of Carbon-13 relative to Carbon 12 in the bones
b. levels of Nitrogen-15 relative to Nitrogen-14 in the bones
When documentary evidence is not available, known ages of artifact types are generated to create age-range or median ages for historical features or sites using which of the following methods? a. TPQ. b. mean ceramic age dates. c. radiocarbon dates. d. TPQ and mean ceramic age dates.
b. mean ceramic age dates
What is that dating techniques tell us about cultural activities? a. everything we need to know b. nothing directly c. nothing at all d. how to speculate
b. nothing directly
19. The Stillwater burial population was not an ideal candidate for a paleodemographic study because: a. the Stillwater burial population consisted almost entirely of adults; because children were not represented, little could be said about the paleodemography of the population. b. paleodemography works best with skeletal samples derived from different biological populations, and the Stillwater burials represented only one biological population. c. paleodemography works best with a skeletal sample representing only a few years or decades, and the Stillwater burials dated to a time period of 600 years or longer. d. most of the individuals in the Stillwater burial population were older than 50 years old, and so younger adults were not represented.
b. paleodemography works best with skeletal samples derived from different biological populations, and the Stillwater burials represented only one biological population
13. If an archaeologist is studying ancient patterns of disease and disorders, she or he is studying: a. bioarchaeology. b. paleopathology. c. mortality profiles. d. paleodemography.
b. paleopathology
2. The best place for a bioarchaeologist to look to determine the sex of human skeletal remains is the: a. skull. b. pelvis. c. sacrum. d. dentition.
b. pelvis
Which of the following dating methods provides the most precise date? a. Potassium-argon b. Radiocarbon c. Dendrochronology d. Thermoluminescence
b. radiocarbon
Who developed the technique of dendrochronology, or tree ring dating? a. Nels Nelson b. Oscar Montelius c. A. E. Douglas d. Willard Libby
c. A.E. Douglas
Ichtucknee Blue on White ceramics were manufactured from AD 1600 to 1650. Excavating a historic site in Georgia, you find bits of broken Ichtucknee Blue on White plates. Therefore, you know that the terminus post quem date on this site is which of the following? a. AD 1650. b. AD 1625. c. AD 1600. d. sometime after AD 1650.
c. AD 1600
Which of the following is an advantage of the accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) method of radiocarbon dating? a. although not as precise as standard dating methods that count beta decays, AMS dating is less subject to problems caused by atmospheric fluctuations in 14C b. AMS dating is much cheaper than standard dating methods that count beta decays c. AMS dating requires much smaller carbon samples than standard dating methods d. AMS dates are easier to calibrate than standard radiocarbon dates
c. AMS dating requires much smaller carbon samples than standard dating methods
26. Why is an understanding of space-time systematics a crucial first step in understanding why people did what they did in the past? a. Space-time systematics automatically explains why prehistory took the course that it did; in other words, explanatory hypotheses are built into space-time systematics. b. Research questions generated by space-time systematics are easily answered because the necessary data have already been collected. c. It is impossible to understand why cultures change without first documenting temporal and spatial change in artifact types. d. All of the answers are correct.
c. It is impossible to understand why cultures change without first documenting temporal and spatial change in artifact types.
In trapped charge dating methods, the amount of gamma radiation emitted by sediments is measured by which of the following? a. optically stimulated luminescence. b. thermoluminescence. c. a dosimeter. d. beta decay.
c. a dosimeter
17. An archaeological culture is: a. the same thing as an ethnographic culture. b. an accurate reflection of how prehistoric people viewed themselves. c. a region within a culture area whose material culture differed from that of other regions. d. All of the answers are correct.
c. a region withing a culture area whose material culture differed from that of other regions
8. Harris lines and dental hypoplasias can be used by bioarchaeologists to make inferences about a. disease and malnourishment in old age. b. activity levels and diet of men and women. c. disease and malnourishment during infant-to-adolescent growth periods. d. the amount of meat in the diet of prehistoric populations.
c. disease and malnourishment during infant-to-adolescent growth period
5. A descriptive and abstract grouping of individual artifacts whose focus is on overall similarity rather than function or chronological significance is a: a. temporal type. b. functional type. c. morphological type. d. stylistic type.
c. morphological type
Which of the following is relative dating method that orders artifacts based on the assumption that one cultural style slowly replaces an earlier style over time? a. dendrochronology. b. the index fossil concept. c. seriation. d. the Law of Superposition.
c. seriation
25. If the frequencies of morphological types change significantly through time, and can be demonstrated to be restricted in time, the morphological types can be also be useful as: a. evidence of migration and subsequent population replacement. b. evidence of a shift in ancient peoples' "mental templates." c. temporal types. d. functional types.
c. temporal types
Organisms that obtain carbon from a source that is depleted or enriched in 14C relative to the atmosphere may return ages that are considerably older or younger than they actually are. What accounts for this? a. De Vries effect. b. the reservoir effect. c. the effect of different photosynthetic pathways. d. problems with calibrating the radiocarbon curve.
c. the effect of different photosynthetic pathways
1. Bioarchaeologists study: a. macrobotanical remains from archaeological sites in order to interpret past interactions between human populations and plants. b. faunal assemblages from archaeological sites in order to determine past interactions between human populations and animals. c. the human biological component of the archaeological record. d. All of the answers; bioarchaeologists study all aspects of ancient life (plant, animal, and human) in archaeological contexts.
c. the human biological component of the archaeological record
30. The following were concerns regarding the excavation and conservation of the Hunley: a. the location of the Hunley was a mystery until a magnetometer was used to locate it. b. the ship would have quickly corroded unless it was sprayed with water after it was raised. c. keeping the carbonate layer intact was critical to the preservation of the vessel. d. All of the answers are correct.
d. All of the answers are correct
After excavating a hearth feature you submit organic material from the hearth for a conventional radiocarbon date. The result comes back as follows: Beta-33003, 3500+/- 100 radiocarbon years BP. What is that you know? a. beta represents the Laboratory. b. 3500 represents the years before present. c. +/- 100 represents the standard error. d. All of the answers are correct.
d. All of the answers are correct
What was revolutionary about Nelson's 1914 excavation methodology at San Cristobal Pueblo in New Mexico? a. Nelson was aware of the effect of screen mesh size on artifact recovery, and adjusted his screening methods accordingly. b. Nelson used the newly discovered radiocarbon dating technique to provide an absolute date for the occupation of the pueblo. c. Nelson was the first to use dendrochronology, and was able to obtain absolute dates for the construction of the pueblo. d. Nelson excavated in arbitrary stratigraphic levels and developed a master ceramic sequence which allowed for chronological control through the index fossil method.
d. Nelson excavated in arbitrary stratigraphic levels and developed a master ceramic sequence which allowed for chronological control through the index fossil method
What can we expect regarding continual advances in dating methods? a. They will permit a greater understanding of the chronology of the past. b. They will confuse scholars and lead to disputes among the academic community. c. They will help create new paradigms and new ways of understanding the past. d. They permit a greater understanding of the chronology of the past, and create new paradigms and new ways of understanding the past.
d. They permit a greater understanding of the chronology of the past, and create new paradigm and new ways of understanding the past
Who discovered the radiocarbon dating technique? a. Nels Nelson. b. Oscar Montelius. c. A. E. Douglas. d. Willard Libby.
d. Willard Libby
Dendrochronology provides what kind of a measure of time, while the Law of Superposition allows for what kind of a measure of time? a. relative/absolute b. calibrated/corrected c. long-term/exact d. absolute/relative
d. absolute/relative
1. After excavation, recovered artifacts must be conserved. Conservation can involve: a. a simple cleaning of the artifacts. b. stabilization of artifacts to prevent decomposition. c. reconstruction of artifacts, such as broken pottery vessels. d. All of the answers are correct.
d. all of the answers are correct
Which of the following is true of archaeological phases? a. They are defined by temporal types. b. They are blocks of time characterized by one or more distinctive artifact types. c. They further divide and refine archaeological periods. d. All of the answers are correct.
d. all of the answers are correct
When faced with a choice of wood to use in tree-ring dating, which of the following would yield the best results? a. Cottonwood b. Sagebrush c. Pine d. All types of wood are equally useful, making tree-ring dating such a powerful tool.
d. all types of wood are equally useful, making tree-ring dating such a powerful tool.
10. If you are defining measurable or observable qualities or characteristics of an artifact that distinguish it from another on the basis of its size, surface texture, form, material, method of manufacture, or design pattern, you are defining: a. the Frison Effect. b. projectile point types. c. components. d. attributes.
d. attributes
29. Characteristics of the Mousterian culture include: a. a culture from the Middle Paleolithic period. b. appeared throughout Europe between 30,000 and 10,000 years ago. c. mousterian artifacts are frequently associated with Neanderthal human remains. d. both a culture from the Middle Paleolithic period and mousterian artifacts are frequently associated with Neanderthal human remains.
d. both a culture from the Middle Paleolithic period and mousterian artifacts are frequently associated with Neanderthal human remains
18. Archaeologists divide prehistory into periods based on: a. the appearance of a new cultural group in the area of interest. b. the appearance of trade goods and exotic raw material types that indicate interaction between groups. c. changes in a culture's ideology, as reflected in ceremonial items. d. changes in observable material culture, such as house form, pottery, or subsistence.
d. changes in observable material culture, such as house from, pottery, or subsistence
38. The concept of culture areas a. has roots in the late nineteenth century. b. is ushered in with New Archaeology in the 1960s. c. was first outlined in Phillips' influential book, Method and Theory in American Archaeology (1958). d. is based on the understanding of Cottonwood Triangular points.
d. is based on the understanding of Cottonwood Triangular points
35. Attributes are a. measurable and observable qualities of an object. b. differences like size and notch position. c. finite characteristics with set rules governing their number. d. measurable and observable qualities of an object, such as size and notch position.
d. measurable and observable qualities of an object, such as size and notch position
Argon-argon dates volcanic rock, especially ash, in layers that are how many years old? a. thousands b. tens of thousands c. hundreds of thousands d. millions
d. millions
9. The goal of the Gatecliff projectile point typology was: a. to distinguish between arrow and dart points (in other words, to determine functional differences). b. to determine differences in the frequencies of raw material types used in projectile point manufacture through time. c. to define temporal types that could then be used to estimate the age of surface assemblages. d. None of the answers; the Gatecliff typology had no goal and illustrates the problems inherent in typologies that are not associated with particular research questions.
d. none of the answers; the Gatecliff typology had no goal and illustrates the problems inherent in typologies that are not associated with particular research questions.
5. What could a bioarchaeologist look at to determine the age at death of a mature human skeleton (>30 years old)? a. Tooth eruption patterns b. Patterns of bone fusion c. Paleopathologies such as osteoarthritis and enamel hypoplasias d. Patterns of wear on the pubic symphysis
d. patterns of wear on the pubic symphysis
34. The delineation of patterns in material culture through time and space and the patterns of which are what the archaeologist will eventually try to explain or account for is referred to as a. types. b. context. c. matrix. d. space-time systematic.
d. space-time systematic
Archaeologists know that Folsom points date to between 10,300 and 10,900 radiocarbon years ago. If an archaeologist finds a Folsom point in a site, and assumes that the site dates to between 10,300 and 10,900 years ago, the archaeologist is using which of the following in his or her reasoning? a. Seriation b. Trapped charge dating c. Relative dating d. The index fossil concept
d. the index fossil concept
Why do seriation diagrams resemble battleships? a. an artifact or style catches on slowly in the beginning, then becomes popular and widespread, and then gradually falls out of favor. b. the popularity of an artifact or style tends to remain constant through time. c. the popularity of an artifact or style fluctuates wildly through time, showing no particular pattern. d. they follow a relative chronological sequence.
d. they follow a relative chronological sequence
