Q&A Hero

Q: The isotope uranium-238 decays at a constant rate (half-life of 8.2 x 1015 years). It also occasionally divides in half, and the two parts are violently repelled from one another, creating scars in crystalline materials and obsidian. By counting the frequency of the scars, the archaeologist can calculate the age of the sample. This dating technique is called a) obsidian hydration dating b) optically stimulated luminescence c) fission track dating d) thermoluminescence e) electron spin resonance

Q: Dating the eruption of Thera (Santorini) has proved difficult, and a host of methods have been applied to determine the date, including a) tephra studies b) radiocarbon dating c) tree-ring sequences d) ice cores e) all of the above

Q: Archaeomagnetic (paleomagnetic) dating is contingent upon a number of factors. If a clay structure is heated beyond a certain temperature (650-700 oC), is not reheated, and remains in situ, this dating technique may then be used to measure the __________________ of the iron particles, which may then be compared to a master sequence that has been built up for that region a) magnetic pulses b) magnetic intensity c) magnetic direction d) magnetic half-life e) all of the above

Q: Although generally less precise than radiocarbon, thermoluminescence (TL) dating has two advantages over radiocarbon dating. First, in principle, it can date materials beyond 50,000 years ago and second, it can date a) teeth b) pottery c) volcanic rock d) carbonized botanical remains e) fossilized animal bone

Q: Uranium-series dating is based on the radioactive decay of uranium isotopes, and is very useful for the period 500,000-50,000 years ago, which is outside the limits of radiocarbon dating. This method is used to date a) teeth b) rocks rich in calcium carbonate c) rocks rich in volcanic minerals d) all of the above e) a and b only

Q: The technique of potassium-argon (and argon-argon) dating requires what kind of sample? a) volcanic rock b) inorganic material c) carbonized botanical remains only d) human remains e) any rock type

Q: Although ancient historical chronologies are of substantial importance in archaeological dating, archaeologists must bear in mind that king- or ruler-lists often remain a "floating chronology." This term means that a) the list is inaccurate because it is related to astronomical observations b) the list is inaccurate because it is related to the seasons c) the list is not linked to our calendar d) the list is linked only to sediment deposits e) it is impossible to tell if the list of dates are BC or AD

Q: Layers of sediments resulting from the melting of ice sheets and deposited in lakes on an annual basis are known as a) tree rings b) pollen c) ice cores d) varves e) contextual seriation

Q: Before radioactive methods were developed after World War II, the two most accurate means of absolute dating, ______ and ________, were limited to Scandinavia and the American Southwest a) potassium-argon, seriation b) varves, seriation c) tree rings, seriation d) pollen, tree rings e) varves, tree rings

Q: In order to obtain absolute dates from very early contexts (over 1 million years ago), you would probably choose to use either _________ or possibly _________ , depending upon the rock material a) tree rings, varves b) fission track, dendrochronology c) potassium-argon, tree rings d) potassium-argon, fission track e) radiocarbon, cation ratio

Q: The most coherent record of climate change on a global scale is obtained through a) deep-sea cores b) pollen sequences c) faunal profiles d) lexicostatistics e) varves

Q: __________ are major periods of glacial advance during the Ice Age a) Interstadials b) Interglacials c) Glacials d) Stadials e) none of the above

Q: Palynologists study ____________ which, when found preserved in lake or bog sediments, allows them to understand both ancient environments and to use them as a method of ________________ dating a) fossils, precise b) pollen, relative c) pollen, absolute d) fossils, absolute e) fauna, relative

Q: Radiocarbon dates obtained from __________ showed that before about 1000 BC dates expressed in radiocarbon years are increasingly "too young." thus radiocarbon dates must be calibrated a) tree rings b) Maya calendars c) varves d) obsidian e) tephra from the Thera eruption

Q: Although the creation of a typology may enable an archaeologist to understand gradual changes in design or decoration, the rate of change must be deduced from a) relative dating methods b) absolute dating methods c) parallels to other artifact typologies d) stratigraphy e) none of the above

Q: All of the following are absolute dating methods except a) frequency seriation b) tree-ring dating c) radiocarbon dating d) the use of historical chronologies e) the use of calendars

Q: Frequency seriation relies upon measuring a) the width of tree growth rings b) aligning radiocarbon dates from earliest to latest c) changes in the proportional abundance of artifact attributes d) pollen zone sequences e) all of the above

Q: To an archaeologist, examples of relative datingmethods include a) seriation b) linguistic dating c) pollen dating d) faunal dating e) all of the above

Q: In order to be of use, an archaeological typology must reflect the way ancient people would have classified those same objects.

Q: Overall, underwater excavation is more expensive than surface excavation because of both the equipment required and the amount of conservation that waterlogged materials need.

Q: Geophysical methods can be very effective for land-based site identification, but are rarely effective in underwater reconnaissance.

Q: Although site surface survey may be useful for identifying sites, such information cannot provide useful information for the sub-surface distribution of a site's layout.

Q: GIS systems are designed for the collection, storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial data.

Q: Mapping is the key to accurate recording of most survey data.

Q: Crop-marks were once thought to reflect ancient sub-surface remains, but are now recognized to be pranks perpetrated by the local populace.

Q: In most modern surveys, areas selected for survey typically utilize either a grid system or a series of transects.

Q: Although ancient stories, legends, and writings are interesting, they are simply too inaccurate to ever be useful for archaeological research.

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

Q: After the process of survey, excavation, recording, mapping, and post-excavation analysis, all these efforts are largely wasted unless a) the results are published b) the site is completely excavated c) a video or film is made d) a museum is founded e) a 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: 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: When artifacts or features are described as in situ, archaeologists mean that they are left a) derived from the local environment b) in the same square where discovered c) where originally used or discarded d) originally from the same city under excavation e) none of the above

Q: Open-area excavations typically involve a) 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) very little actual excavation and a limited number of shovel test pits e) opening large areas, with few baulks of earth

Q: Broadly speaking, excavation techniques may be divided into those which 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: To an archaeologist, the term provenience refers to the a) origin of an idea or innovation b) origin of an artistic technique or motif c) history of an artifact's owners d) vertical and horizontal position of an artifact e) none of the above

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

Q: Investigations led by Mandy Mottram at the site of Tell Halula revealed the site was originally composed of two tells; the techniques used included a) extensive geochemical analysis b) GIS and surface survey c) LANDSAT and SPOT data d) scraping away shallow topsoil deposits e) large-scale, box-grid excavations conducted over several years

Q: Satellite imagery from such resources as ________ are cheap or free and it has now become standard archaeological practice to access such images and use them in archaeological survey a) the US Department of Defense b) personal satellites purchased for the project c) Google Earth d) The CIA e) satellite imagery is never cheap and thus is rarely used in archaeology

Q: One form of geochemical analysis allows detection of the _________ content of soil, which has been demonstrated to correlate with ancient settlements not visible from the surface or even those with no apparent architectural features a) copper b) zinc c) silicates d) carbonates e) phosphate

Q: A disadvantage of some geophysical techniques based on magnetism is that their use in urban areas may be subject to distortion resulting from power lines and metals in the immediate vicinity. One method that can be used in such areas relies on soil moisture and is known as a) proton precession magnetometry b) ground penetrating radar (GPR) c) fluxgate magnetometry d) electrical resistivity e) metal detectors

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: The most traditional and most basic subsurface detection technique is the use of a) probes b) ground penetrating radar c) x-ray technology d) geochemical analysis e) magnetic resistivity

Q: Although GIS has been referred to as "the biggest step forward ... since the invention of the map," GIS applications have also been criticized as being environmentally deterministic. This accusation means that a) environmentalists have taken control of research, setting a political agenda within science b) environmental data (soil, rivers, altitude, etc) are given priority over other data c) environmental data (soil, rivers, altitude, etc) are ignored in favor of others d) environmentalists were fundamental in GIS program design e) none of the above

Q: Using attributes such as slope and distance, GIS can map catchment areas and site territories to understand the energy expenditures for moving across a landscape. This is known as a) plus/minus analysis b) surface benefits analysis c) cost-surface analysis d) cost-benefits analysis e) trend-distance analysis

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: 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) Genealogical Information System

Q: A remote sensing technique, SLAR, stands for _______________ and was used successfully to suggest that Maya agriculture was more intensive than previously believed a) sideways-looking airborne radar b) sidereal longitudinal airborne radar c) satellite land to air radar d) standard laser assisted radar e) standard longitudinal aerial radar

Q: The entire 3-D landscape of the site of Caracol in Belize can now be viewed thanks to a LIDAR survey. Why was LIDAR needed to survey the full extent of this site? a) Caracol is almost entirely submerged under the Caribbean Sea and the laser signals can detect ruins under the water b) Caracol had been dismantled entirely in ancient times and now only cropmarks remain c) Modern Belize City now covers all of Caracol d) Much of Caracol is covered by dense tropical forrest that laser signals can penetrate e) Caracol is located in a militarized area making survey from the air the only option

Q: The analysis of the vertical, time dimension of a series of archaeological layers that are situated horizontally is a fundamental aspect of archaeological excavation. It is called a) typology b) classification c) geographic information systems d) provenance e) stratigraphy

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) handheld digital cameras b) webcams c) mobile phone cameras d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: What types of aerial photograph can be used by archaeologists? a) only vertical images b) both vertical and oblique images c) only oblique images d) neither vertical nor oblique images can be used by archaeologists

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) damp marks b) soil marks c) crop-marks d) UFO marks e) residual marks

Q: Latex rubber molds were used at the site of Red Bay to record sensitive timbers in situ. This innovative technique is just one of many unique excavation and recording methods available to archaeologists working on a) crop-marks b) tell sites c) aerial reconnaissance d) shipwrecks e) the origins of agriculture

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: 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 get tired and hide under bushes b) survey walkers to concentrate on areas where artifacts are concentrated c) survey walkers to walk in circles d) survey walkers to veer off the survey grid

Q: Bernard Knapp and Michael Given designed a survey of northern Cyprus to investigate the relationship between the production and distribution of agricultural and metallurgical resources through time. Their survey strategy included a) walking transects and entering the data daily into a GIS program b) stratified areas according to vegetation, with random sampling squares in each c) random squares, determined with a random numbers table, for intensive survey d) nearly 100% survey coverage, with data entered into a GIS program e) none of the above

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: Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad used medieval Viking sagas to locate and excavate an ancient Viking settlement in a) Nantucket b) Iceland c) New Hebrides d) Nova Scotia e) Newfoundland

Q: Arid conditions encourage decay through the shortage of water, which allows micro-organisms to thrive.

Q: Stone tools typically survive very poorly in the archaeological record, and rarely date beyond approximately 5000 years ago.

Q: Provenience is the horizontal and vertical position of an artifact within the matrix.

Q: One of the remarkable aspects of tzi, the Iceman found in the Alps, is that he was a prehistoric human accidentally preserved with his everyday clothing and equipment, rather than carefully buried or sacrificed.

Q: Metals such as gold, silver, and lead do not survive well in the archaeological record.

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

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

Q: Seawater is one of the most destructive forces, but artifacts recovered from under the sea that are coated with a thick hard casing of metallic salts (e.g., chlorides, sulphides and carbonates) can often be restored.

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.

Q: Which of the following is an example of "original human behavior" at an archaeological site? a) the plowing of a field that is located over the archaeological site b) the pillaging of the archaeological site by looter c) the excavation of the site by archaeologists d) the disposal of the debris produced from making a tool at the site e) all of these reflect "original human behavior" at the archaeological site

Q: The scientific technique of placing a metal object in a chemical solution and passing a weak current through it to clean it is called a) homeostasis b) thermoluminescence c) electrolysis d) deionization e) conduction

Q: Tropical climates a) tend to have vegetation that overwhelms archaeological sites b) often experience torrential rains when destroys masonry work and wood c) are often so inhospitable that they can hinder archaeological looters d) all of the above e) a and b only

Q: Compared to "dry archaeology," "wet archaeology" (that is archaeology performed on waterlogged sites) a) costs four times less b) is relatively simple as wet remains do not deteriorate c) costs about the same d) does not require the use of a laboratory e) costs four times as much

Q: A lock of hair found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen is thought to belong to a) his father whose identity is unknown b) his grandmother, Queen Tiye c) the person for whom Tutankhamen's grave goods were originally intended for d) tomb robbers that had entered the tomb in antiquity e) King Rameses II

Q: The long-term study of an earthwork constructed at Overton Down, England, as experimental archaeology indicates that a) preservation was better in the chalk bank, and preservation of leather and pottery was unchanged after 4 years b) preservation was superior in the turf core, and preservation of textiles and bones had changed little after 4 years c) preservation was quite poor regardless of whether artifacts were in chalk or turf, primarily because of rodent and earthworm activity d) archaeologists have been underestimating the effects of earthworm activity on preservation and site formation processes e) experimental archaeology simply cannot be used to help understand the past

Q: Bog bodies, primarily individuals who met a violent death (such as Tollund Man, from Denmark), are best known from northwest Europe and typically date to the a) Stone Age b) Bronze Age c) Iron Age d) Industrial Age e) Medieval Age

Q: Although not true humanly created mummies as in Egypt, the arid environment in the American Southwest promoted exceptional preservation when the pueblo dwellers buried their dead a) in deep pits b) in special kivas c) in dry caves d) under the floors e) bodies from the American Southwest do not survive

Q: Isotopes in the hair of the child mummies found on the peak of Llullaillaco, Peru suggest that before they died they a) ate guinea pig b) consumed marijuana c) sacrificed a llama d) chewed coca leaves e) drank corn beer known as chicha

Q: The mummies of the Andes are a good example of exceptional preservation of organic material resulting from its location in a a) cold climate b) bog c) wet cave d) sandy desert e) swamp

Q: Anaerobic conditions preserve organic materials well and such conditions are often present in a) swamps b) bogs c) fens d) marshes e) all of the above

Q: Excellent preservation of organic materials at wetland sites occurs because of the anaerobic, or __________ environment, which inhibits the activities of micro-organisms that need oxygen a) anoxic b) apoxic c) hydroxic d) noxious e) none of the above