Anthro midterm #2
potassium 40 half life
1.31 billion years
C14 half life
5,730 years
stratigraphy
A site's physical structure produced by the deposition of geological and/or cultural sediments into layers, or strata.
Thermoluminescence
A trapped charge dating technique used on ceramics and burned stone artifacts - anything mineral that has been heated to more than 500 degrees Celsius.
cross dating
Comparing sites by presence of time sensitive artifacts ("type fossils" or "index fossils"). Items with multiple attributes that change through time
cross-dating
Comparing sites by presence of time sensitive artifacts ("type fossils" or "index fossils"). Items with multiple attributes that change through time
Flinders Petrie
Egyptology who pioneered systematic methodology in archaeology. he also dated layers based on poetry findings
reservoir effect
When organisms take in carbon from a source that is depleted of or enriched in 14C relative to the atmosphere; carbon dating of such samples may return ages that are considerably older or younger than they actually are.
Obsidian Hydration
a dating technique that allows a researcher to date obsidian. obsidian is subject to the principal of mineral hydration. so, it absorbs water when exposed to air at a defines rate
period
a length of time distinguished by particular items of material culture such as house form, pottery, or subsistence
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
a method of radiocarbon-dating that counts the proportion of carbon isotopes directly (rather than the indirect Geiger counter method) thereby dramatically reducing the quantity of datable material required
cross-cutting relationships
a principle of geology that states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features. it is a relative dating technique in geology
seriation
a relative dating method that orders artifacts based on the assumption that one cultural style slowly replaces an earlier style slowly replaces an earlier style over time. frequency of samples found.
anti-coincidence counting
a solution created by libby against the problem of extraterrestrial contamination (ie. gamma rays) libby would remove the emission counts that occurred in pairs (or close together)
Gas scintillation
a technique that allows for better cleaning of containment from a sample
Dendrochronology
a type of an absolute dating the technique is based on the fact that the trees add a ring of growth annually and continuing the rings gives the age of the treee. the use of annual growth rings in trees to assign calendar ages to ancient wood samples. has a +1/-1 standard deviation (only dates wood and has a large range)
Who is credited with discovering tree ring dating? a. A.E. Douglass b. Frederick Match c. Alonzo Sanjuarez d. Elizabeth Jean Homebank
a. A.E. Douglass
Obsidian Hydration, initially a relative dating technique, has approached becoming a chronometric technique by: a. being crossed dated with C14 dates from regional archaeological sites b. being crossed dated with dendrochronological dates from regional archaeological sites c. being crossed dated with racemization dates from regional archaeological sites d. by seriation e. none of these
a. being crossed dated with C14 dates from regional archaeological sites
potassium-argon can only date: a. inorganic material b. organic material c. a and b d. none of these
a. inorganic material
an index or type of fossil a. is a marker for a specific time period b. is a fossil species that existed for a long period of time before becoming extinct c. is a fossil species that was restricted to a small geographic area d. b and c
a. is a marker for a specific time period
which two of the following are corollaries to the stratigraphic method? a. superposition and cross cutting relationships b. seriation and strata c. isotopes in bone and tooth enamel provide little insight into diet d. a and b above
a. superposition and cross-cutting relationships
Obsidian Artifacts can be sourced using: a. x-ray defraction b. mass spectroscopy c. thermo-luminescence d. electron microscopy e. none of these
a. x-ray defraction
phase
an archaeological construct possessing traits sufficiently characteristic to distinguish it from other units similarly conceived spatially limited to the briefest interval of time possible
chronometric dating
any archaeological dating methods that gives a result in calendar years before present time. in chronological order fro within the same culture.
attribute
any human induced alteration or modification
a radiocarbon date given as 500 B.P. plus or minus 50 years (one standard deviation) means that the probability of the real date falling between 450 and 550 B.P. is: a. 50 percent b. 68 percent c. 95 percent d. 100 percent
b. 68 percent
once a "curve" or relationship between calendar years and the experimental "relative data units" are known you have: a. a relative dating technique b. a chronometric dating technique c. an arbitrary dating technique d. standard deviation e. a mathematical probability
b. a chronometric dating technique
varves are: a. tree rings b. annual layers that form in lake bottoms c. annual layers that form on top of midden mounds d. particles used in radiocarbon dating
b. annual layers that form in lake bottoms
what does the "error factor" of obsidian hydration reflect: a. one standard deviation of numerous measurements taken by the same investigator of known widths b. one standard deviation of ten measurements taken by the same investigator c. bristlecone pine tree cross-dating d. comparisons with cores from the north sea
b. one standard deviation of ten measurements taken by the same investigator
which of the following is NOT a relative date: a. Mary is 10 years older than john b. the first life dates to about 3.5 billion years ago c. basket A is older than basket B d. sivapithecus comes before Australopithecus in the fossil record
b. the first life dates to about 3.5 billion years ago
which carbon isotope is the rarest? a. 12C b. 13C c. 14C d. none of the above; carbon isotopes exist in the same proportions
c. 14C
the oldest quarried obsidian source in California based on hydration readings appears to be: a. salton sea b. casa diablo (mammoth) c. coso (ridgecrest) d. Mt. Shasta e. Glass Mountain
c. coso( (ridgerest)
People who eat certain tropical grasses like corn have: a. higher ratios of nitrogen-13 isotopes in their bones b. lower ratios of nitrogen-13 isotopes in their bones c. higher ratios of carbon-13 isotopes in their bones d. lower ratios of carbon-13 isotopes in their bones
c. higher ratios of carbon-13 isotopes in their bones
Which of the following depends 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
willard libby
calculated half life (decay rate) of modern 14C
time sensitive artifacts
change through time and are characteristic of a particular period.
half-life of potassium-argon dating: a. 13 million b. 13 billion c. 1.3 million d. 1.3 billion
d. 1.3 billion
what is the half-life of potassium-argon dating: a. 13 million b. 13 billion c. 1.3 million d. 1.3 billion
d. 1.3 billion
in central Europe, a tree ring sequence has been established back to about: a. 1,000 B.C. b. 4,000 B.C. c. 7,000 B.C. d. 10,000 B.C.
d. 10,000 B.C.
What was revolutionary about Nels Nelson's 1914 excavation methodology 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
As opposed to conventional radiocarbon dating, the accelerator method of radiocarbon dating method can: a. use less material to date an object b. date further back i time c. date rocks d. a and b e. all of these
d. a and b
which of the following is true? a. the isotope ratios in tooth enamel come from the place of birth b. the isotope rations in bone come from the place of death c. isotopes in bone and tooth enamel provide little insight into diet d. a and b above
d. a and b above
the conventional method of radiocarbon dating can be used to date objects which existed about: a. 15,000 years ago b. 95,000 years ago c. 150,000 years ago d. all of the above
d. all of the above
what is the advantage of gas scintillation over solid carbon radiocarbon dating a. eliminates false gamma radiation counts b. allows for the dating of one c. allows for better cleaning of containment d. all of these
d. all of these
which of the following characterizes carbon-14 dating is true a. half-life 5730 b. 50,000 year accuracy c. dates only organic materials d. all of these
d. all of these
which of the following elements is involved in carbon-14 production or breakdown a. nitrogen-14 b. b- beta emission c. h proton emission d. all of these
d. all of these
the most accurate form of dating is: a. carbon-14 b. potassium-argon c. archaeomagnetism d. dendrochronology
d. dendrochronology
carbon-14 dating techniques assumes what constant: a .stable atmospheric water content b. stable oxidation rate of obsidian c. stable rotation of the earth on its axis d. stable isotopic ratios in the atmosphere e. none of the above
d. stable isotopic ratios in the atmosphere
which of the following is basic to all archaeological dating techniques? a. carbon-14 b. obsidian hydration c. dendrochronology d. stratigraphic observations
d. stratigraphic observations
The "zeroing" mechanism for obsidian hydration is: a. the last exposure of the specimen to fire b. the death of the specimen that is to be dated c. the first exposure of the specimen to fire d. the moment the specimen was fashioned into an artifact e. the birth of the specimen that is to be dated
d. the moment the specimen was fashioned into an artifact
the shroud of Turin was not subjected to C14 dating for some years due to: a. reluctence of the church to donate the specimen b. inaccuracy of C14 dating c. too much sample was required for the gas scintillation techniques d. none of these e. a and c
e. a and c
the shroud of Turin was not subjected to carbon 14 dating for some years due to: a. reluctance of the church to donate the specimen b. inaccuracy of carbon-14 c. too much sample was required for the gas scintillation techniques d. none of these e. a and c
e. a and c
C14 error measures.... a. are expressed as a relatively small +/_ factor after the date b. stand for one standard deviation or one sigma of observes\d variation c. are based on numerous dates run n samples of a known age d. do not include the bristle cone correction factor e. all of these
e. all of these
carbon-14 error measures a are expressed as a reatively small value after the date b. stand for one standard deviation or one sigma of observed variation c. are based on numerous dates run on samples of a known age d. do not include the bristle cone correction e. all of these
e. all of these
seriation
establishing a frequency change within a sequence...(stylistic change or functional change through time)
fluorine dating
groundwaer contains fluorine ions which can then be used to date a location
carbon-14
half-life 5,730 years 50,000 year accuracy dates only organic materials
components
layer at a a site that belongs to a singular culture
potassium argon
method of dating inorganic substances, particularly rocks. uses tthe radiosctive isotope of potassium
stratigraphic relationships
recognition of vertical sequence of layered deposits (oldest on the bottom, youngest on top)
relative dating
relative dates are not absolute (earlier, later, more recent). not exact numeric dates since they cannot be measured in scientific units (days, years, centuries, etc.) related terms: type, fossil, cross-dating
Zeroing mechanism
something that starts the clocks at the time of occupation in question
A.E. Douglass
sunspot research discovered the first and most accurate chronometric technique for archaeology
Principles of Stratigraphy
superposition, folding, cross-cutting
cross dating
the correlation of distinctive traits (time sensitive artifacts) between two or more sites or levels in different localities for purposes of chronology
terminus post quem
the earliest time an event may have happened
Archaeometry
the field which studies the physical and chemical analysis of archaeological substances, their ages, and other data
terminus ante quem
the latest time an event may have happened
cortex
the outer layer of rock formed by chemical and mechanical weathering the amount of cortex a stone has defines the process in how flakes were shaved off a stone to make it into a weapon/tool
Archaeomagnetism
the study of how the earths magnetic fields change over time and can be observed in archaeological materials of a location
Typology
the systematic arrangement of material culture into types
what is tpq determined by if a number of objects are recovered from one deposit
the youngest object
shielding
this was a solution from libbys problem of background radiation contaminating the Carbon-14 dating. by shielding, libby was able to screen a specimen from contamination by being placed under a cover made of lead
type fossil
time sensitive artifacts, with multiple attributes that change through time. they are normally characteristic of a particular period
Solid Carbon Counting
willard libby's second contribution. also known as beta emission counting