ANTH 202 - Most Missed Exam Questions

which of the following terms refers to documenting how material culture changed over time and space?

Culture History

What is Middle Level theory in Archaeology?

a logical statement linking observations on the static archaeological record to the dynamic behavior or natural processes that produces it

Structuralism is most closely associated with which of the following anthropologists? a. Claude Levi-Strauss b. Jean L. Picard c. Andre Leroi-Gourhan d. Marvin Harris e. David Lewis-Williams

a. Claude Levi-Strauss

which of the following terms refers to the cultural tradition that was widespread across much of the eastern United States from AD 800-1500, engaged in intensive village-based maize horticulture, and constructed earthen platform mounds? a. Mississippian b. southeastern ceremonial complex c. moundville d. cahokia e. all of the answers are correct

a. Mississippian

previous historical and archaeological studies made it clear that the proposed apple white reservoir area was likely to contain significant historic properties that were eligible for inclusion as state archaeological landmarks or which of the following entities? a. NRHP b. SHPO c. ARPA d. NHPA e. NEPA

a. NRHP

During WWII during what end did some American archeologists volunteer their services in the war effort. a. Several collaborated on "national character" studies that tried to characterize peoples who were either allies or enemies. b. Ruth Benedict provided information that would ultimately prove critical for Allied forces occupying Japan during the prewar period. c. The Human Terrain Team helped military see situations from an indigenous perspective. d. They volunteered as servicemen and women, not as archaeologists.

a. Several collaborated on "national character" studies that tried to characterize peoples who were either allies or enemies.

if you are excavating a culturally homogenous stratum or set of strata within a single site, what is that you are excavating ? a. a component b. an assemblage c. a temporal type d. a period e. a culture area

a. a component

The ethnohistoric record suggests that the Bighorn Medicine Wheel was used for what purpose(s)? a. a site for vision quests. b. an astronomical observatory. c. a two-dimensional imitation of the 28-raftered lodge built as part of the Sun Dance ceremony. d. a burial ground.

a. a site for vision quests.

what is a marker bed? a. an easily identified stratum that is found in multiple sites in the same region b. a stratum unique to a particular archaeological site that is not found anywhere else throughout the region c. a stratum that is easily dated by the potassium-argon dating method d. a stratum marked by distinctive soil horizons

a. an easily identified stratum that is found in multiple sites in the same region

formal and relational analogies were employed to interlink which of the following concepts with renewal ceremonies and art practiced by which of the following groups? a. deer and peyote... huichol b. the swastika... Etruscan c. peace pipes... choctaw d. jaguars... chavin de huantar e. ashipoc... tap pilam

a. deer and peyote... huichol

which of the following terms best refers to the investigation of what it is that specifically distinguishes justified belief from opinion? a. epistemology b. bottom-level theory c. middle-level theory d. top-shelf theory

a. epistemology

exploring the possible ways to make a projectile point is an example of what method and, if done while observing the way a living group of people makes projectile points, what does it exemplify? a. experimental archaeology / ethnoarchaeology b. middle range research / general theory c. ethnology / experimental archaeology d. general theory / middle range research e. ethnoarchaeology / general theory

a. experimental archaeology / ethnoarchaeology

ARPA applies to what types of land? a. federal b. state c. private d. a and b e. all of the above

a. federal

differences in material wealth and presumably social status/rank at the Ozette archaeological site was shown by the presence of elaborate wooden artifacts and what feature types? a. houses b. mounds c. burials d. a and b e. all of the above

a. houses

under what condition(s) are formal analogies strengthened? a. if many ethnographic cases demonstrate the same pattern, and the archaeological and ethnographic cases have many attributes in common b. if they can be drawn between cultures with drastically different settlement systems, subsistence patterns, or economics c. if close cultural continuity cannot be demonstrated between archaeological and ethnographic cases d. a and c e. all of the answers are correct

a. if many ethnographic cases demonstrate the same pattern, and the archaeological and ethnographic cases have many attributes in common

which of the following is true about the concept of culture areas? a. it has roots in the late 19th century b. it is ushered in with New Archaeology in the 1960's c. it was first outlined in Phillips influential book, Method and Theory in American Archaeology (1958) d. it is based on the understanding of cottonwood triangular points e. it was derived from post processualism

a. it has roots in the late 19th century

what is the meaning of the term "pedoturbation"? a. mixing of the sediments b. effects of fast moving water c. effects of trampling or foot traffic d. a special type of faunalturbation

a. mixing of the sediments

Which of the following dating methods is/are most commonly used to calibrate rates of obsidian hydration less than 45,000 years old? a. radiocarbon b. tpq c. argon-argon d. trapped charge e. c and d

a. radiocarbon

what did the 1906 Antiquities Act require? a. required a federal permit before excavating or collecting artifacts from federal land. b. required tribal consultation on all archaeological discoveries located on federal lands. c. required the repatriation of all Native American skeletal material and associated grave goods found on federal or tribal lands to culturally affiliated tribes. d. All of the answers are correct.

a. required a federal permit before excavating or collecting artifacts from federal land.

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. a and c e. 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

why is it that plants of similar ages and that grew int eh sea 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 e. differences in sediment moisture content when the plant died

a. use of different photosynthetic pathways

if stable isotope analysis is conducted on human skeleton that during life consumed a diet rich in C4 plants such as maize and very little meat, then the isotopic ratios of the bone would show a high ratio for which of the following ? a. 12C to 13C b. 13C to 12C c. 15N to 14N d. 13C to 15N e. 15N to 14N

b. 13C to 12C

The earliest evidence of artistic expression occurs _______ years ago, but becomes widespread only_______ years ago. a. 40,000/10,000 b. 90,000/40,000 c. 200,000/90,000 d. 500,000/200,000

b. 90,000/40,000

which of the following archaeological cultures is/are considered/argued to be representative of a chiefdom? a. Pincevant b. Moundville c. Mayan d. a and b e. all of the above

b. Moundville

to what does the term deflation refer, as used in archaeology? a. a cultural process whereby one populations technology becomes adopted by another population in a different geographic region b. a geological process whereby fine sediment is blown away by the wind and larger items are lowered onto a common surface c.. an archaeological phenomenon in which excavations produce fewer and fewer artifacts with increasing depth. d. a geological process that results in rapid and complete burial of material remains

b. a geological process whereby fine sediment is blown away by the wind and larger items are lowered onto a common surface

if you are analyzing a collection of artifacts of one or several classes of material that come from a defined context such as a site, feature, or stratum, which of the following are you analyzing? a. a component b. an assemblage c. a phase d. a period e. a culture area

b. an assemblage

what is archaeological shovel-testing? a. a destructive survey technique that archaeologists no longer use b. an important method of identifying sites in areas characterized by soil buildup c. an important method of identifying sites in areas characterized by deflation d. something that is necessary in agricultural regions to sample the plow zone.

b. an important method of identifying sites in areas characterized by soil buildup

which of the following field methods was most successful in finding unmarked graves at Matagorda Cemetery ? a. power auger sampling b. backhoe / gradual excavation c. proton precession magnetometer (ppm) d. ground-penetrating radar

b. backhoe / gradual excavation

in more humid conditions, under what condition are plant remains generally preserved? a. buried b. burned c. soaked inwater d. b and c e. all of the answers are correct

b. burned

which of the following attests that casual priority is assigned to the modes of production and reproduction, hence the principle of infrastructural determinism ? a. humanism b. cultural materialism c. enlightenment theory d. postprocessualism

b. cultural materialism

if the hypothesis that the wetlands of the Carson desert had been the focus of a sedentary settlement system was correct, what should have the archaeologists -- your textbooks authors -- found during the survey ? a. small, sparse settlements in the wetlands, and more intensive resource utilization of surrounding areas b. dense scatters of waste flakes and broken tools, or other remains of villages occupied for years at a time, in the wetlands c. mostly projectile points in the wetlands, with little or no accompanying waste flakes d. abundant manor and metates in the piñon-juniper forests

b. dense scatters of waste flakes and broken tools, or other remains of villages occupied for years at a time, in the wetlands

as per your reading assignment, paradigms provide overarching frameworks for understanding which of the following ? a. complex low level theory b. human condition c. science-vs.-hypothesis concept d. postmodernism approach to evolution

b. human condition

what kind of sediment is represented in most of the strata at gatecliff rockshelter? a. sediments brought into the shelter by humans b. natural deposited alluvial and eolian sediments c. thick layers of rock from the collapse of the shelter roof over time d. thick layers of volcanic ash

b. natural deposited alluvial and eolian sediments

A basic knowledge of plant reproduction represents what kind of condition for a pending agriculturalist? a. sufficient b. necessary c. critical d. nonessential

b. necessary

by recording the provenience of all artifacts encountered in situ during gate cliffs excavations, what were the archaeologists trying to do ? a. document differences in artifact sequences through time. b. obtain information that would allow them to reconstruct the activities that took place on discrete living floors c. determine the depth of time represented by the deposits in the rock shelter d. speed up the excavation process without losing important information

b. obtain information that would allow them to reconstruct the activities that took place on discrete living floors

Why is H.M Wormington an important character in the development of Americanist Archaeology during the first half of the 20th century ? a. she illustrates how difficult it was for a woman to break into the male dominated field of Americanist archaeology at that time ; although well qualifies to conduct archaeological research, she was never given the opportunity. b. she is an example of a female pioneer in americanist archaeology and her contributions are still considered important today. c. she shows that although women were interested in archaeology during this time, they weren't yet ready to participate in archaeological research; Wormingtons research was irrelevant and scientifically unsound. d. she illustrates that although women were not yet permitted to conduct archaeological research during this time, they were still important in the field during excavations as camp cooks and logistical organizers

b. she is an example of a female pioneer in americanist archaeology and her contributions are still considered important today.

in the Smithsonian site number "26CH798" what does the number 26 stand for? a. the number of the county (arranged alphabetically) in which the site is located b. the number of the state (arranged alphabetically) in which the site is located c. the sites sequential number within the county in which it is located (in other words, it was the 26th site recorded I the county) d. the type of site it is (e.g., a lithic scatter, ceramic scatter, pueblo, etc.)

b. the number of the state (arranged alphabetically) in which the site is located

a geologists observes glacial moraines and striations in an area that is today mot glaciated. the geologist internets those features as evidence of past glacial activity. which of the following approaches is she or he using? a. middle level theory b. the principle of uniformitarianism c. a relational analogy d. a and b e. all of the answers are correct

b. the principle of uniformitarianism

A test excavation would be most appropriate in which of the following situations? a. when determining whether or not field school students understand archaeological field methods. b. when trying to determine a sites potential for answering a research question c. when a research question must be answered with a limited amount of time and money d. when a researcher already knows what to expect during excavations

b. when trying to determine a sites potential for answering a research question

the period of the ice age known as the Pleistocene ended about how long ago? a. 25,000 years b. 100,000 years c. 10,000 years d. 1.5 million years

c. 10,000 years

The battle of little bighorn took place in what year? a. 1856 b. 1866 c. 1876 d. 1886 e. 1896

c. 1876

Thermoluminescence dating of stone tools from Qafzeh Cave in Israel indicates that Homo sapiens were in the near east by how many years ago? a. 9,200 b. 19,200 c. 92,000 d. 192,000 e. 920,000

c. 92,000

which of the following actions is not required under NAGPRA for institutions receiving federal funding? a. Institutions must inventory burials/grave goods and objects of cultural patrimony. b. Institutions must consult with appropriate Native American tribes determined to be "culturally affiliated" with the remains and objects regarding their repatriation. c. Institutions must pay the tribe affiliated with burials/grave goods possessed by the institution. d. Institutions must agree to repatriate materials if requested.

c. Institutions must pay the tribe affiliated with burials/grave goods possessed by the institution.

The Little Bighorn River and the battle that bears its name are in which of the following states? a. North Dakota b. Nebraska c. Montana d. Wyoming e. South Dakota

c. Montana

The period during which people began using ground stone tools, manufacturing ceramics, and relying on domesticated plants and animals is known in the Near East as the: a. Natufian. b. Upper Paleolithic. c. Neolithic. d. Younger Dryas.

c. Neolithic.

clark S. Larson's study of skeletal remains recovered from Stillwater marsh and elsewhere suggested that agriculture resulted in what compared to hunting and gathering diets? a. about the same overall quality of diet b. a more balanced diet, albeit meat-poorer c. a poorer diet d. a richer diet e. a starch rich diet

c. a poorer diet

phases are a term archaeologists use to refer to which of the following ? a. culturally homogenous units within a single site b. archeological cultures c. basic archaeological building blocks for regional synthesis d. temporal types e. components and periods within one site

c. basic archaeological building blocks for regional synthesis

which of the following terms is part of the social organization found in many Central American communities in which a wealthy individual is named to bear the costs of important religious ceremonies? a. potlatch b. huipil c. cargo system d. ascribed kinship e. paramount chiefdom

c. cargo system

which of the following positions did Brian Hatoff take when excavating Hidden Cave, outside Fallon, Nevada? a. do the work quietly in order not to involve spectators. b. protect the site from looting by not publishing his results. c. carry out a public education campaign to encourage community participation. d. close the site permanently.

c. carry out a public education campaign to encourage community participation

what do fluctuations in pollen percentages in a pollen diagram indicate? a. changes in frequencies of animal remains present at a site b. changes in types of domesticated plants that prehistoric populations used upon c. changes in local and regional plant densities d. climatic change in the form of decreasing temperatures and increasing moisture content e. all of the above

c. changes in local and regional plant densities

what primary site formation process resulted in the downward movement of rocks in the fire cracked rock taphonomy (aka actualistic) experiment carried out in Kootenai Valley of NW Montana ? a. argillitubation b. faunalturbation c. floralturbation d. cryoturbation e. graviturbation

c. floralturbation

to what does the word taphonomy refer? a. the fossil record b. faunal remains in the archaeological record c. how organisms become part of the fossil record d. fossil organisms e. how fossils are interpreted as to their cultural affinity

c. how organisms become part of the fossil record

which of the following characteristics is an exception to the rise of archaic states? a. monumental architecture. b. warfare. c. hunting and gathering. d. market economies.

c. hunting and gathering.

what does petrographic analysis involve? a. shooting an x-ray onto lithic raw material causing the electrons to become excited and emit fluorescent b. trace element analysis of lithic raw material to obtain a "fingerprint" and identify source c. identifying the mineral composition of a pot's temper and clay through microscopic analysis of thin sections of pottery d. all of the answers are correct; petrographic analysis refers to all techniques that attempt to source ceramic or lithic raw material

c. identifying the mineral composition of a pot's temper and clay through microscopic analysis of thin sections of pottery

what is the purpose of heat treating stone tool raw material ? a. create stone tools by subjecting the raw material to heat, which would cause the material the fracture into usable pieces b. make it more difficult for the raw material to be flaked and shaped c. improve the flintknapping properties of the raw material d. for hot stones used for cooking (e.g., dropped into ceramic vessels) e. improve the sharpness for effective cutting and scraping

c. improve the flintknapping properties of the raw material

why is the folsom site important in the history of American archaeology ? a. it was the first site that was excavated using the stratigraphic method, a breakthrough in archaeological technique that allowed for chronological control. b. it finally disproved the myth of the mound builders, establishing the Native Americans had indeed built the earthworks of the eastern United States c. it proved the extent of human antiquity in the americas d. at a time when most American archaeologists were concentrating on American prehistory, is demonstrated the importance of historic archaeology

c. it proved the extent of human antiquity in the americas

which of the following statements is true about postprocessual archaeology? a. explanation are explicitly scientific and objective b. attempts to remain ethically neutral; claims to be explicitly nonpolitical c. less enthusiastic about scientific methods and denies possibility of objectivity d. views culture from a systematic perspective and defines culture as adaption

c. less enthusiastic about scientific methods and denies possibility of objectivity

Processual archaeology is appealing to some archaeologists because it: a. is concerned with discovering and interpreting symbolic relationships between material culture and the human mind. b. emphasizes the values, ideas, and beliefs that make people human, and is less concerned with the material conditions of existence. c. places priority on the very things that archaeologists are most confident in recovering from archaeological sites, such as environment, technology, and economy. d. All of the answers are correct.

c. places priority on the very things that archaeologists are most confident in recovering from archaeological sites, such as environment, technology, and economy.

why do archaeologists use a datum point rather than simply measuring from the ground surface? a. the datum point provides a universal reference point that can be used across any archaeological site, allowing archaeologists to easily compare data between excavations b. while vertical provenience could easily be measured from the ground surface, obtaining accurate horizontal provinience would be much more difficult without a datum point c. the ground surface doesn't have the same elevation consistently across a site while a datum point provides a fixed reference d.use of a datum point is an archaeological tradition established in the early 20th century; while it serves no useful purpose, it is an example of how outdated excavation methodology is still embedded in archaeology today

c. the ground surface doesn't have the same elevation consistently across a site while a datum point provides a fixed reference

Why was Mary Leakey's discovery of fossil footprints in volcanic ash at Laetoli so important ? a. it warned locals of the presence of a nearby active volcano b. fossil animal footprints had never before been discovered c. the volcanic ash had preserved the footprints of at least two bipedal hominids d. it proved that hominids manufactured and used stone tools prior to the origin of bipedalism

c. the volcanic ash had preserved the footprints of at least two bipedal hominids

as per survey data, about how many people lived in lowlands during the classic Mayan period (AD 250-700) when the Maya took on the characteristics of the archaic state? a. 10 thousand b. 500 thousand c. 1 million d. 10 million

d. 10 million

NAGPRA became law in what year? a. 1960 b. 1970 c. 1980 d. 1990 e. 2000

d. 1990

what is it that applied archaeology endeavors to do? a. brings the techniques of archaeology to non-traditional venues. b. applies our knowledge of the human past to concrete economic or social problems. c. can make archaeology relevant to the modern world. d. All of the answers are correct.

d. All of the answers are correct.

Which of the following contributed to the support and discovery of deep time? a. Charles Darwin publishes his influential book On the Origin of Species b. James Usher concludes that Creation began at sunset on Saturday, October 22, 4004 BC. c. Jaquces Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes found ancient axe heads in the gravels of the Somme River d. Charles Darwin publishes his influential book On the Origin of Species and Jaquces Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes found ancient axe heads in the gravels of the Somme River

d. Charles Darwin publishes his influential book On the Origin of Species and Jaquces Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes found ancient axe heads in the gravels of the Somme River

which of the following dates is the youngest?

A. AD 1066

AV Kidder demonstrates that potters are archaeologically important because they can provide what kind of evidence?

A. Cultural relationships among various prehistoric group

Which of the following Indian forces opposed the U.S. military contingent led by George Armstrong Custer? a. Lakota b. Cheyenne c. Crow d. a and b e. all of the above

d. a and b

Which of the following information contributed to dating the burials at matagorda cemetery? a. age of coffins b. age of photograph technique c. age of skeletal remains d. a and b e. all of the above

d. a and b

more ancient symbolic systems must be studied in which of the following ways that make use of uniformitarian elements of what kind(s), although these remain to be demonstrated? a. human neurology b. symbolic universals c. religious universals d. a and b e. all of the above

d. a and b

a diversity of wildflower pollen was recorded from sediments encasing Shanidar IV, a neanderthal burial in Shanidar Cave, Iraq. To what did recent studies attribute the pollen deposition rather than it being remains of burial "bouquets?" a. archaic Homo sapiens inhabiting the cave at the same time b. wind deposition c. misidentification of four pollen types d. a specific land animal e. a specific bird

d. a specific land animal

in which of the following settings are organic remains best preserved? a. a cave, where conditions remain permanently cool and dry. b. a bog, where conditions remain permanently wet and depleted of oxygen c. a field, exposed to hot, dry conditions with periodic rainfall d. both permanently dry, cool cave and a permanently wet bog

d. both permanently dry, cool cave and a permanently wet bog

which of the terms best attests to the way archaeologists address the relationships among artifacts, ecofacts, features, and their contexts? a. conducting experiments b. demonstrating ethnicity c. understanding technology d. making inferences e. linking socio-economics

d. making inferences

what could bioarchaeologists 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 e. c and d

d. patterns of wear on the pubic symphysis

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 e. law of superposition

d. the index fossil concept

which of the following is an archaeological region that contains the statistical population to be sampled is called ? a. the simple sample area b. the target zone c. the universal round d. the sample universe

d. the sample universe

what could bioarchaeologists 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 e. all of the above

d. tooth eruption and bone fusion patterns

which of the following principles (i.e., concepts) is most important or fundamental to middle level theory and related research that seeks to explain archaeological patterns? a. data points b. stratigraphic deposition c. ethnology d. uniformitarianism e. intensification

d. uniformitarianism

... because of the sacred nature of the site, you decide to excavate the least amount possible and thus want to know where the temple lies before getting out the shovels. How might you map the site without excavating it ? a. use ground penetrating radar to detect the walls b. use aerial photography to detect the outline c. use random sampling to excavate a series of test pits across the site d. use ground penetrating radar or Ariel photography depending on their potential utility in this specific case

d. use ground penetrating radar or Ariel photography depending on their potential utility in this specific case

According to Bar-Yosef, approximately how many years ago did growing populations in the Near East require that the full productivity of agriculture be harnessed, resulting in the appearance of agricultural communities? a. 90,000 b. 45,000 c. 25,000 d. 13,000 e. 9,000

e. 9,000

Who derived the provocative approach of obtaining "mean ceramic date" to overcome disagreement about the utility of terminus post quem ceramic dating in historical archaeology? a. ofer bar yosef b. Richard Roberts c. zahi hawass d. Kathleen deagan e. Stanley south

e. Stanley south

the search for fatty acids from given plants within residue on ancient ceramic cooking vessels has been successful using which of the following methods? a. mass spectrometry b. microscopic techniques c. gas chromatography d. a and b e. a and c

e. a and c

around what does the primary distinction between humanistic and scientific approaches within archaeology revolve?

objectivity