Q&A Hero

Q: Absolute dates are never reported with a significant error factor included.

Q: Iron tools can be directly dated by extracting carbon introduced to the metal alloy during forging.

Q: The three age system is an example of relative dating.

Q: Both projectile points and pottery shards can be used as temporal types.

Q: The process of archaeological seriation depends on the existence of cultural change.

Q: The use of index fossils is a kind of absolute dating technique.

Q: Relative dating establishes the exact chronological relationship between two artifacts found in the same context.

Q: Which of the following techniques would be most useful for understanding the evolution of modern humans? A) use-wear analysis B) geochemical sourcing C) residue analysis D) DNA analysis E) qualitative analysis

Q: Modern science provides the tools for archaeologists to do all of the following except__________. A) source raw materials B) identify organic residues on artifacts C) recover ancient DNA D) reconstruct ancient languages E) date iron implements

Q: DNA analysis can be performed on__________. A) soft tissue only B) hard tissue only C) both soft and hard tissue D) only bodily fluids E) recently deceased remains

Q: Protein residue analysis can detect the presence of such substances as__________. A) blood and saliva B) metals C) clothing D) inorganic dyes E) bodily oils, such as those contained in fingerprints and sweat

Q: Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are both methods used to perform__________. A) use-wear analysis B) aDNA analysis C) geochemical sourcing D) residue analysis E) carbon dating

Q: Obsidian, jade, and turquoise are all materials that__________. A) originated near a volcanic source B) are relatively easy to source geochemically C) can be worked to a sharp edge D) are perishable in acid soils E) occur only in Inca sites

Q: Geochemical sourcing can be helpful in__________. A) reconstructing trade patterns B) determining chronology C) analyzing use wear patterns D) determining the origins of domestic plants and animals E) reconstructing the evolution of modern humans

Q: Use-wear analysis is most helpful in determining an object's __________. A) original size B) source C) age D) cultural significance E) composition and function

Q: A meaningful classification of artifacts requires__________. A) use-wear analysis B) accurate records of where each item and feature was found C) geochemical sourcing D) residue analysis E) written historical records or petroglyphs

Q: Bowstrings, nooses, and snares are all examples of__________. A) coiling technique B) earthenwares C) basketry D) textiles E) cordage

Q: The greatest treasure of the Inka empire was__________. A) their cloth B) their gold C) their silver D) their ceramics E) their emerald mines

Q: Materials woven from plant fibers or from animal hair are called__________. A) cordage B) basketry C) textiles D) hammock E) tapestries

Q: All of the following are perishable kinds of artifacts except__________. A) wood B) fiber C) antler D) bark E) leather

Q: A key characteristic of the bone flutes from the Jiahu site is that__________. A) they are made from human bones B) they each contain the same number of holes C) they are too degraded to function D) they are capable of producing multitones E) they tell us precisely how musical compositions were performed

Q: The primary purpose of determining the original contents of glass bottles is__________. A) to determine if the site occupants had healthy diets B) to provide insight into economic patterns and personal habits of site occupants C) to determine the origin of the glass, itself D) to determine trade routes E) to determine if the bottles had been reused over time

Q: The technology of glass manufacturing developed in tandem with__________. A) metallurgy B) flintknapping C) ceramics D) textiles E) increased trade between cultures

Q: The process of iron work during the Iron Age indicates__________. A) the first example of metallurgy B) a large trade in metals and manufactured metal goods C) the first example of metals being alloyed D) a greater knowledge of chemistry E) the creation of a metal that will not oxidize

Q: Smelting, casting, and forging all refer to__________. A) aspects of metallurgy B) ways to knap flint C) technologies known only to Romans D) weapon making E) ceramics

Q: __________ permitted the mass production of durable metal objects of standardized manufacture and stimulated the rise of the ancient civilizations.A) FiringB) CastingC) SmeltingD) AnnealingE) Forging

Q: Scratching, incising, and punching are all techniques for__________. A) preparing hides B) making stone knives C) decorating pottery D) weaving textiles E) molding glass bottles

Q: Terra-cottas, earthenwares, and stonewares are all examples of__________. A) porcelains B) lithics C) ceramics D) textiles E) glass

Q: Percussion and pressure flaking are both ways to__________. A) work bone B) produce stone tools C) smelt iron D) recycle glass E) decorate pottery

Q: Bifaces, blades, and cores are all__________. A) features B) ceramics C) metals D) lithics E) perishables

Q: In classifying artifacts, archaeologists use__________. A) both quantitative and qualitative attributes B) residue and DNA analysis C) gas chromatography/mass spectrometry D) a standardized typological scheme E) historical written records

Q: The first step in analysis is__________. A) computing B) excavation C) residue analysis D) classification E) dating

Q: It is likely that the majority of objects made and used by past people were made from perishable materials that archaeologists fail to recover.

Q: Once people invent ceramics, they no longer use baskets.

Q: Baskets and ceramics can be used for many of the same functions.

Q: Shell artifacts are only found in coastal sites.

Q: Copper and gold do not always have to be smelted before they can be worked.

Q: Many chronologies are constructed around temporal sequences of pottery styles.

Q: The analysis of ceramics required knowledge of both organic and inorganic materials.

Q: Stone artifacts are especially good for establishing site chronologies.

Q: Once a stone tool is completed, it can never be used for any other purpose.

Q: The process of tool stone reduction is also known as flintknapping.

Q: It is easy to interpret sex roles and gender characteristics from artifact assemblages.

Q: The original function of an artifact is always clear to the archaeologist.

Q: Stone tools may be either ground or flaked.

Q: Artifact types regularly change over time.

Q: The attributes relevant to the archaeologist attempting to classify artifacts always match the attributes regarded as important by the maker or user of the objects.

Q: Classification or typological schemes allow archaeologists to communicate through shared terminology and nomenclature for describing and naming objects under study.

Q: The construction of artifact typologies is a subjective process, and different archaeologists can construct different typologies from the same artifact assemblage.

Q: Some recovered material from archaeological sites is irrelevant to our understanding of past cultural practices.

Q: Classification is the placing of materials into categories of types that can be used for identification and comparison.

Q: A stone artifact always has its origin close to where it is found by an archaeologist.

Q: If you find an archaeological site on your property you should __________ A) start excavating immediately B) surface collect as many artifacts as possible C) map the site and keep the map to yourself D) call the state archaeologist

Q: Curation of archaeological remains includes __________. A) adding items to your personal collection B) excavating materials C) locating the remains D) cataloguing materials E) writing reports about the remains

Q: The overall director of an archaeological project is called__________. A) the professor B) the Principal Investigator C) the Head Archaeologist D) the Supervisor

Q: Screening involves __________. A) the search for archaeological sites B) ground-penetrating radar C) sifting diet for small remains D) removal of non-biological materials

Q: Screening is useful for __________. A) accurate survey B) finding larger features C) recovering dietary evidence D) recovering small remains

Q: A total station is __________. A) used to find sites B) is a three-part numbering system for archaeological sites C) determines the precise location of an object within an excavation unit D) determines where an archaeologist will excavate

Q: Common excavation tools include all of the following except __________. A) paintbrushes B) dynamite C) bulldozers D) shovels

Q: Excavation unit types include all of the following except __________. A) auger probes B) shovel test pits C) trenches D) stratigraphy

Q: An instrument that measures variations in the strength of the earth's magnetic field is called __________. A) a magnetism detector B) a Global Positioning System C) an electromagnetoscope D) a magnetometer

Q: Ground penetrating radar will __________. A) help find buried archaeological sites B) help find your exact position on the globe C) map archaeological sites D) sort artifacts

Q: Surface collections and test-level excavations __________. A) aid in deciding where to excavate B) are done before the research design is written C) are done before funding is acquired D) are done to see if any sites exist

Q: Excavations are undertaken when? A) at every finding of an archaeological site B) to save what is left after development has begun C) to increase understanding of a past culture D) when funding allows for payment of at least 10 archaeologists

Q: Judgment sampling is best described as which of the following? A) involves arbitrary decisions on the part of the archaeologist B) uses random number tables to define sampling areas C) is always more productive than random sampling D) should only be used when random samples are unavailable

Q: Sampling techniques such as ground-penetrating radar are meant to be __________. A) non-random B) statistical C) judgmental D) un-biased

Q: A Global Positioning System will do which of the following? A) provide a three dimensional picture of an archaeological site B) find buried archaeological sites for you C) help you find your exact position on the globe D) will count artifacts

Q: Remote sensing techniques include aerial photography and _____________. A) geophysical survey B) pedestrian survey C) shovel test pits D) synthetic aperture radar

Q: Research design entails the identification of research questions, background literature searches, and _____________. A) generating conclusions B) collecting artifacts C) gathering ethnographic data

Q: The first step in fieldwork is usually __________. A) survey B) excavation C) artifact analysis D) flotation E) establishing a grid

Q: The sites that archaeologists excavate belong to them and they can do whatever they wish with the remains and artifacts.

Q: It is completely acceptable for archaeologists to keep some of the artifacts they collect in their office to show visitors.

Q: Archaeological fieldwork is never hazardous.

Q: The United States government provides storage for all archaeological materials uncovered at sites.

Q: Curation of artifacts and ecofacts includes conservation and storage of materials.

Q: Archaeologists themselves have all the training needed to analyze all the results of the fieldwork after data collection has been completed.

Q: Archaeologists can work independently to excavate a large site.

Q: Sites are only excavated if they are very important to the field of archaeology

Q: Every archaeological site that is found is excavated.

Q: Archaeology is a destructive enterprise.