Q&A Hero

Q: According to Marshall Sahlins, balanced reciprocity takes place among those well known to each other in a definite social context. Negative reciprocity operates between strangers or those socially distant from one another.

Q: Ground reconnaissance survey and aerial reconnaissance are two ways to discover and record site locations.

Q: In cases where exotic goods are traded over long distances, it is a safe assumption that centralized, complex, state-level societies were involved.

Q: After the process of survey, excavation, recording, mapping, and post-excavation analysis, all these efforts are largely wasted unless a) an educational film is made b) the results are published c) a video or film is made d) a museum is founded e) a very, very large party is held

Q: Groups of artifact or building types at a particular time and place are termed a) traits b) assemblages c) cultures d) attributes e) characteristics

Q: The limited range of exchange goods that a society considers very valuable or of high status are known as prestige objects.

Q: Classification of artifacts is usually based on a) similar surface attributes b) similar shape attributes c) similar technological attributes d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Trace element analytical results are typically expressed in a) parts per trillion b) parts per billion c) parts per million d) parts per thousand e) parts per hundred

Q: When artifacts or features are in situ, archaeologists mean that they are a) where they were originally used or discarded b) in the same country where they were discovered c) derived from the local environment d) originally from the same city under excavation e) none of the above

Q: In the context of studying ancient distribution, down-the-line trade is the movement of a commodity a) across successive territories through successive exchanges b) via exchange at a common boundary c) to a central place (as tribute) where something is received, then or later d) by an independent middleman, who exchanges with others e) through an emissary, who is under the control of a larger entity

Q: Open-area excavations typically involve a) complex series of intact baulks of earth between grid squares b) a series of crossing baulks of earth for walking and wheelbarrows c) The use of a cofferdam to hold back earth or water d) opening large areas, with few baulks of earth e) all of the above

Q: Within an interaction sphere there is a tendency for the symbolic systems to converge. Where the form of a religion has much in common from center to center, as reflected in iconography, this would be an example of a) transmission of innovation b) competitive emulation c) symbolic entrainment d) flow of commodities e) evangelization

Q: Broadly speaking, excavation techniques may be divided into those that emphasize the vertical dimension, by cutting into deep deposits to reveal stratification, and those that emphasize the __________ dimension a) stratified b) time-space c) fourth d) horizontal e) perpendicular

Q: Peer-polity interaction takes a variety of forms, such as a) language and ethnicity b) flow of commodities c) ceremonial exchange of valuables d) competition e) all of the above

Q: The expensive public feasting of Northwest Coast American Indians, the potlatch, is an example of conspicuous consumption that would best be described as a) symbolic entrainment b) ceremonial exchange of valuables c) flow of commodities d) competitive emulation e) market domination

Q: During the first two centuries ad in the eastern US there was an interaction sphere that included exchange of valuables such as obsidian, shark teeth, copper, flint and other materials. This interaction sphere has come to be known as the a) Anasazi b) Archaic c) Hopewell d) Cherokee e) Eastern Woodland

Q: To an archaeologist, the term provenience refers to the a) vertical and horizontal position of an artifact b) origin of an artistic technique or motif c) history of an artifact's owners d) origin of an idea or innovation e) none of the above

Q: The law of superposition means that a) when one layer overlies another, the one on the bottom is more recent. b) layers below are less likely to yield reliable dates c) when one layer overlies another, the one on top is usually more recent d) layers on top are unlikely to have reliable, datable artifacts e) layers on top are more important than those below

Q: The concept that geological layers are laid down, one on top of the other, according to processes that still continue is known as a) seriation b) stratification c) typology d) assembly e) preservation

Q: One of the most thorough studies of production and distribution was that by Isabel McBryde at the quarry outcrops on Mount William. By examining ethnographic accounts of tomahawk production, and then working with a petrologist, McBryde determined that access to the quarry was strictly limited, and was available only through kinship or ceremonial affiliations. The quarry was located in a) the south island of New Zealand b) northern Plains, USA c) southern Plains, USA d) southeastern Australia e) southern England

Q: A basic technique used in the analysis of artifact composition, ________ allows for the study of individual layers of an artifact (e.g. glaze, underglaze, and pot fabric) individually a) electron probe microanalysis b) fall-off analysis c) neutron scattering d) seismic reflection profiling e) non-probabilistic sampling

Q: The presence or absence of various elements in an artifact may be established by examining the appropriate spectral line of their characteristic wavelengths. Although used in the analysis artifact composition, __________________ has an accuracy level of only about 25%, and has been superseded by ICPS a) electron probe microanalysis b) optical emission spectrometry c) neutron activation analysis d) electron spin resonance e) none of the above

Q: The Teotihuacn mapping project used a variety of methods to map vast areas of the site. These techniques included a) aerial and surface survey b) surface survey only c) aerial survey only d) large-scale excavations e) large-scale excavations plus some aerial survey

Q: _______ retains its central role in fieldwork because it yields the most reliable evidence for human activities in the past and changes in those activities from period to period a) aerial photography b) carbon dating c) excavation d) probing e) electrolysis

Q: In order to smooth out local irregularities and highlight the main geographic distribution of objects, archaeologist might use a) XTENT modeling b) site catchment analysis c) trend surface analysis d) isotopic analysis e) fall-off analysis

Q: Although these devices can be of great value to archaeologists, some users of this popular type of magnetism-based remote-sensing device illegally dig holes and destroy archaeological sites without reporting the finds that they make a) metal detectors b) ground penetrating radars (GPR) c) potassium ion detectors d) x-ray machines e) geographic information systems (GIS)

Q: The examination of a slice of an object with a petrological microscope in order to determine the source of the material, is known as a) thin-section analysis b) X-ray fluorescence analysis c) optical emission spectrometry d) X-ray diffraction e) cathodoluminescence

Q: Sending short pulses of electromagnetic waves into the ground and then receiving reflections of these waves to detect underground changes in soil or archaeological features is known as a) standing wave technique b) bosing c) ground penetrating radar (GPR) d) electrical resistivity e) thermography

Q: Silted-up ditches or filled-in pits, which retain more moisture than such features as stone walls, will therefore display lower a) electrical resistivity b) time slicing c) ground penetrating radar (GPR) d) GIS e) standing wave measurement

Q: ____________ is a mode of exchange in which transactions take place between individuals of relatively equal status a) Bartering b) Kula networking c) Redistribution d) Market exchange e) Reciprocity

Q: Shovel-Test Pits are small pits dug into the ground a) that help orient aerial photography b) for storage of food and other perishable items c) in search of fresh water d) which are used to gain a preliminary idea of what lies beneath the surface e) none of the above

Q: Prestige valuables and ordinary commodities may be exchanged within the same society but in separate systems; this is known as a) redistribution b) the sphere of exchange c) market systems d) central place redistribution e) none of the above

Q: Once data is stored within a GIS, it is relatively straightforward to produce ________ on demand a) surface surveys b) surface benefits analyses c) maps d) typologies e) Wheeler box-grids

Q: George Dalton used the term _____________ to refer to the tokens of wealth and prestige used in ceremonial exchange systems of non-state societies a) primitive valuables b) material culture c) money d) kula e) status symbols

Q: Exchanges of all types (imitation, emulation, competition, etc) between autonomous socio-political units is known as a) systematic exchange b) market exchange c) reciprocity d) bartering e) peer-polity interaction

Q: The underlying premise of _____________ is that particular kinds of archaeological sites tend to occur in the same kinds of place a) imaginative models b) predictive models c) hypothetical models d) raster models e) futuristic models

Q: This technique for compositional artifact analysis depends on the excitation of atom nuclei through bombardment with slow neutrons and is known as a) electron probe microanalysis b) optical emission spectrometry c) neutron activation analysis d) infrared absorption spectroscopy e) neutron scattering

Q: A mode of exchange that implies a specific location for the transactions to occur and allows or fosters the negotiation of price-making is known as a) kula ring b) potlatch c) reciprocity d) market exchange e) moka

Q: GIS, which stands for ______________, is a significant new development in archaeological mapping a) Geological Igneous Systems b) Geological Information Systems c) Geographic Information Systems d) Geographic Ignorance Systems e) Geneological Information System

Q: In order to establish and reinforce alliances in Melanesia, a system of ceremonial, non-competitive, exchange is known as a) kula exchange b) potlatch c) polity d) market exchange e) moko

Q: The introduction of _____________ is considered an "aerial revolution" since it offers all archaeologists and even the public the chance to examine aerial images for archaeological sites a) Google Earth b) Ground Penetrating Radar c) LIDAR d) LANDSAT e) Space Imaging Radar

Q: LIDAR provides archaeologists with these advantages over conventional aerial photography: a) tree canopies can be eliminated by switches off the "first return", so the sensor can see into woodland b) the angle and azimuth of the sun can be moved to enable ground features to be viewed under optimal lighting c) features buried up to ten feet down can be detected through soil marks d) a and b e) a and c

Q: A regional or inter-regional exchange system is known as an a) archaeological culture b) assemblage c) cultural group d) interaction sphere e) world system

Q: _________________ is a particularly useful method used in distinguishing between different sources of amber a) Electron probe microanalysis b) Infrared absorption spectroscopy c) Fall-off analysis d) Geochemical analysis e) X-ray diffraction analysis

Q: Underwater archaeology is considered highly demanding because a) it is expensive b) it requires specialized training such as diving experience c) artifacts from a waterlogged environment deteriorate rapidly d) special equipment must be developed to cope with the particulars of a shipwreck e) all of the above

Q: By plotting the quantities of material on the Y-axis, and the distance from a source on the X-axis, the decline of quantities of traded items in the archaeological record with increased distance from source is known as a) trend surface analysis b) site catchment analysis c) fall-off analysis d) formation processes e) off-site data

Q: Although film is still generally used in air photography in the last few years ___________ have become sufficiently good to be used by airborne archaeologists a) digital sensors b) video recordings c) cameras with a resolution of less than 10 megapixels d) none of the above e) all of the above

Q: ____________ photographs taken from the air provide better perspective and are easier to view and understand than vertical photographs, which are better for making maps and plans a) Oblique b) X-Ray c) GIS d) Horizontal e) all of the above

Q: Visible differences in vegetation growth resulting from a sub-surface wall or ditch affecting the available moisture, nutrients, or soil depth, appear in aerial photographs as a) crop marks b) soil marks c) damp marks d) crop circles e) residual marks

Q: Obsidian makes a good material for characterization and distribution studies because a) there are relatively few sources of obsidian in the world b) different sources are chemically different c) it was desirable in prehistoric times, and was used to make tools d) all of the above e) a and b only

Q: When plotted on a graph of distance from source (X-axis) against quantity of a traded item (Y-axis), down-the-line exchange typically reveals a pattern of a) multi-modal fall-off b) a nearly flat (horizontal) gradient c) exponential fall-off d) any of the above are possible e) none of the above

Q: Sites can be detected by remote sensing methods through features such as a) crop circles b) mounds c) walls d) holes cut into the ground e) b through d

Q: The cargo of over 350 copper four-handled ingots from the Uluburun shipwreck appears to have originated in Cyprus. This was determined using a) side scanning sonar b) lead isotope analysis c) infrared absorption spectroscopy d) atomic absorption spectrometry e) optical emission spectrometry

Q: Results of surveys conducted over longer periods of time, covering the area repeatedly, tend to be more reliable because a) the visibility of sites and artifacts can vary widely from year to year b) the visibility of sites and artifacts may vary according to seasonal variation c) the accuracy of field crew observations may change through time d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) has similar analytical possibilities as scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, but is better for analyses of a) small areas of light materials (such as paper, pigments, or soldering of alloys) b) samples in the form of a prepared or pressed powder or glass pellet c) alloys and major components of pottery, faience, glass, and glazes d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Systematic surface survey tends to be preferred to unsystematic for a number of reasons, primarily because in unsystematic surveys there is a tendency for a) survey walkers to concentrate mostly on areas where artifacts seem richer b) survey walkers to get tired and hide under bushes c) survey walkers to walk in circles d) survey walkers to veer off the survey grid

Q: Analytical methods for characterization are varied. For pottery, a reliable technique for determining the source is a) heavy mineral analysis b) studies of grain size c) thin section analysis d) all of the above e) answers a and b only

Q: Landscape descriptions in Homer's The Iliad inspired Heinrich Schliemann to search for and successfully find the city of _____, located in modern Turkey a) atalhyk b) Atlantis c) Troy d) Minoa e) Smyrna

Q: When a mode of exchange involves the operation of some central organizing authority that receives or appropriates goods and subsequently sends some to other locations, this is a) negative reciprocity b) balanced reciprocity c) market exchange d) redistribution e) a kula network

Q: In his influential ethnographic work, Argonauts of the Western Pacific, anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski described an exchange network that centered on ceremonial exchange between inhabitants of some Melanesian islands. Malinowski's study of this system was influential in shaping our understanding of how _____________ works a) reciprocity b) redistribution c) market exchange d) barter e) capitalism

Q: Some survey techniques use squares when conducting regional surveys, but ________ are easier to locate and walk along, in order to record artifact densities across the landscape a) transects b) circles c) triangles d) parabolas e) none of the above

Q: Before any archaeological fieldwork begins, archaeologists try to make their objectives explicit in the form of a/an a) academic publication b) research design c) doctoral dissertation d) typology e) assemblage

Q: Dry environments prevent decay through the shortage of water, which allows micro-organisms to survive and flourish, thus preserving organic remains.

Q: Immanuel Wallerstein used the term __________ to designate an economic unit articulated by trade networks that extended far beyond the boundaries of each individual political unit, linking them together in a larger functioning unit a) reciprocal emulation b) kula network c) globalization d) potlatch system e) world system

Q: Stone tools typically survive very poorly in the archaeological record, and stone artifacts rarely date from before 5000 years ago.

Q: The application of techniques to determine the particular properties of the constituent materials of traded goods, and thus understand their source of origin, is known as a) association b) the conjunctive approach c) characterization d) site catchment analysis e) geochemical analysis

Q: Because lead is so very hard, it was used for a wide range of purposes in ancient times despite how difficult it was to hammer and shape.

Q: Provenience is the exact position of a find within the matrix.

Q: Unfortunately no organic remains, such as food, wreaths or funerary bouquets, survived in the tomb of Tutankhamen.

Q: Hammering copper makes the metal brittle, but by heating the metal, some pliability can be restored.

Q: Such metals as gold, silver, and lead corrode and do not survive well in the archaeological record.

Q: Iron is simply steel that contains between about 0.3 and 1.2 percent carbon.

Q: Fired clay, such as pottery or baked mud-brick, is virtually indestructible if well fired.

Q: Iron was extensively used in the New World before the contact with Europeans.

Q: The earliest known glass furnace was found at Tell el-Amarna, Egypt, dated to about 1350 bc.

Q: Survival of organic materials is typically limited to cases of extreme moisture, such as very arid or waterlogged conditions.

Q: Sea water is potentially very destructive, but artifacts recovered from under the sea that are coated with a thick hard casing of metallic salts can often be preserved through the use of electrolysis.

Q: By about 3000 bc, several Andean cultures had developed cotton textiles, which quickly replaced the use of other fibers such as reeds and rushes.

Q: Natural formation processes include such activities as plowing, building structures, or making tools.

Q: Protected from outside climatic effects, caves may act as natural "conservatories," creating local climates that can promote the preservation of organic remains.