Q&A Hero

Q: Artifacts found with "tzi" or the "Iceman" discovered in the Alps in 1991 included a) a long bow, wooden backpack, copper axe b) a flint dagger, skin shoes (filled with grass), birchbark containers c) a leather belt, bone awl, leather leggings d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Exceptional preservation of "tzi," or the "Iceman," found in the Alps in 1991, allowed documentation of his health, past injuries, tattoos, and diet. Radiocarbon dates suggest he lived at about __________ a) 1300 bc b) ad 300 c) 3300 bc d) 10,000 bc e) 13,000 bc

Q: The Pazyryk bodies, found in the Altai of ________________, were burials placed inside log coffins about 400 BC and so well preserved by their constant frozen state that archaeologists recovered not only linen shirts, aprons, and stockings but could also see tattoos. a) southern Siberia b) southern Sinai c) southern Sahara d) southern Botswana e) South Carolina

Q: At Ozette, the extraordinary preservation of organic materials such as wooden containers, baskets, weaving equipment, and fishing and hunting equipment, was the result of a) a glacier covering the village b) a mudslide covering the settlement c) a volcano burying the settlement in ash d) a lava flow burying the village

Q: Temperate climates are not usually conducive to organic preservation at archaeological sites because of a) variable temperatures and fluctuating precipitation b) steady humidity c) hyper-aridity d) water saturation e) constant ice cover

Q: Typically, the most destructive type of climate for organic materials tends to be a) tropical b) polar c) temperate d) desert e) it makes little difference

Q: Inorganic materials that frequently survive well archaeologically are a) plant fibers b) stone tools c) animal bones d) wood tools e) none of the above

Q: Formation processes affect the way in which finds came to be buried and what happened to them after their burial. A good example of a natural transformation process would be a) gradual burial of a feature by wind-borne soil b) the sudden fall of ash over Pompeii c) slow accumulation of river sediment over a feature d) gradual burial of an artifact by sand e) all of the above

Q: An artifact's context includes its a) matrix and how it was constructed b) provenience and the identity of the maker c) matrix, provenience, and association with other finds d) current price e) none of the above

Q: Features, essentially non-portable artifacts, include such things as a) hammers, chisels, and arrowheads b) ceramic pots, arrowheads, basketry, and flint tools c) small villages, houses, and palaces d) advertisements e) postholes, hearths, floors and ditches

Q: Non-artifactual organic and environmental remains, or ecofacts, include items such as a) animal bones, plant remains, pottery fragments b) soils, sediments, animal bones, plant remains c) stone tools, weapons, pottery d) soils sediments, animal bones, stone tools, weapons, pottery e) none of the above

Q: Archaeological sites may be defined quite simply as a) places where people once lived b) places where butchering and food preparation took place c) any place where significant traces of human activity are identified d) any place that shows no traces of human activity e) none of the above

Q: The material immediately surrounding an artifact, usually a sediment such as gravel, sand, or clay, is known as the a) dirt b) find spot c) site d) matrix

Q: Objects used, modified or made by people are known as ___________ to archaeologists. a) artifacts b) geofacts c) ecofacts d) doodads e) none of the above

Q: "Heritage" is an easily defined term with a clear and accepted archaeological definition.

Q: Excavations at Pompeii during the 17th century consisted of some of the earliest, proper methodological techniques applied to an ancient site.

Q: Reflecting many other aspects of modern life in the 1960s, the New Archaeology was more pessimistic than earlier, traditional approaches to archaeology.

Q: Another term for the New Archaeology is Processual Archaeology.

Q: Discoveries made by the Leakeys indicate that our earliest ancestors lived only a few thousand years earlier than recognized at the beginning of the 20th century.

Q: Like anthropologist Julian Steward, British archaeologist Grahame Clark broke away from the dependence on artifacts of the cultural-historical approach and argued for the multi-disciplinary efforts of specialists to understand plant and animal remains.

Q: The principle of uniformitarianism states that the stratification of rocks is due to processes which have stopped entirely and are no longer occurring in modern seas, rivers, and lakes.

Q: The Rosetta Stone was discovered during Pitt Rivers' military expedition to India (1798-1800).

Q: Some early pioneers studying the "Moundbuilders" of North America believed that they were Hindus from India who later moved on to Mexico.

Q: Although similar in some respects, the applications of evolutionary principles to social organization are not ideal because, unlike hereditary transmission of biological traits, culture can be learned.

Q: In the early 1700s, Englishman William Stukeley made a systematic study of __________ and demonstrated that they had not been made by giants or devils a) North American mounds b) European stone monuments c) the Pueblo sites of the American southwest d) the atalhyk ruins e) the Egyptian pyramids

Q: What is androcentrism? a) male bias b) the hatred of males c) the study of males d) male archaeology e) none of the above

Q: Whose work at Pecos Pueblo, New Mexico was largely responsible for putting the archaeology of the Southwest on the map? a) Max Uhle b) Alfred Maudslay c) Flinders Petrie d) Leonard Woolley e) Alfred Kidder

Q: Ian Hodder and Michael Shanks, leading voices in postprocessual perspectives, suggest that a better term for these approaches might be a) postmodern archaeologies b) interpretive archaeologies c) communist and Marxist archaeologies d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: One of the objectives sought by Ian Hodder in his renewed excavations at atalhyk was to a) allow more local inhabitants to voice their interpretations of the site b) allow different specialists to have a voice in the site interpretation c) develop a more flexible and open approach to interpreting stratigraphy in the field d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: A leading thinker on Old World history and author of books such as Man Makes Himself and Dawn of European Civilization, V. Gordon Childe moved beyond classification, seeking to understand a) the origins of civilization b) the origins of the Neolithic Revolution c) the origins of the Urban Revolution d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: At a time (late 19th century to early 20th century) when few women could be on excavations, __________ not only surveyed Crete on a donkey and led excavations that unearthed the first Minoan town, but she also published her results in outstanding detail. a) Louis Leakey b) Gertrude Caton-Thompson c) Harriet Boyd Hawes d) Kathleen Kenyon e) none of the above

Q: Contradicting the prevailing wisdom of the time, excavations led by ____________ at Great Zimbabwe (1929) confirmed that the site was of indigenous African origin. a) Louis Leakey b) Gertrude Caton-Thompson c) Flinders Petrie d) Kathleen Kenyon e) none of the above

Q: Which archaeologist's landmark investigation at Star Carr in the 1950s demonstrated how much information could be gleaned from what appeared to be an unpromising site using the ecological approach? a) Mortimer Wheeler b) V. Gordon Childe c) Flinders Petrie d) Grahame Clark e) Louis Leakey

Q: ______________ trained under Mortimer Wheeler, adopted his box-grid method, and is best known for excavations at Jericho and Jerusalem a) Kathleen Kenyon b) Gertrude Caton-Thompson c) Anna O. Shepard d) Mary Leakey e) none of the above

Q: The site of atalhyk, first excavated by James Mellaart in the 1960s, is a world-renowned Neolithic site because of discoveries of a) plaster decorations incorporating bull skulls b) wall paintings c) female terracotta figurines d) well-preserved remains of textiles e) all of the above

Q: A major contributor to the decipherment of Maya hieroglyphs was a) Tatiana Proskouriakoff b) Kathleen Kenyon c) Mary Leakey d) Harriet Boyd Hawes e) Gertrude Caton-Thompson

Q: A typology is a) lines connecting similar altitudes for mapping b) the discovery of an ideal form of something against which all others are measured c) the reproduction of ancient artifact forms d) an arrangement of artifacts in chronological or developmental sequence e) none of the above

Q: Darwin's work on evolution, in particular the mechanism of "natural selection," served as an important catalyst to the concept a) that humans had emerged as part of the same process b) that living things do not really change c) that human origins were much too early for archaeology to have any relevance d) none of the above e) all of the above

Q: Rather than emphasize chronological sequences, the proponents of "New Archaeology" suggested that archaeologists should a) think in terms of culture process b) seek generalized explanations for change rather than historical explanations c) aim to answer specific research questions rather than simply create more information d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Julio Tello, considered by many to be the first "indigenous archaeologist" in the Americas, was originally a medical doctor who is famous for work in his home country of a) Mexico b) The United States c) Cuba d) Peru e) Brazil

Q: Influenced by Darwin's ideas about evolution, Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan argued that human societies evolved through stages, from a) savagery to barbarism to civilization b) barbarism to peasantry to civilization c) australopithecines to Homo erectus to Homo sapiens d) hunter to gatherer to agriculturalist e) savagery to peasantry to capitalist

Q: Evolution, associated with Charles Darwin and highly influential on many other thinkers (such as Karl Marx, Oscar Montelius and others), also set the groundwork for the study of a) geology b) artifact typology c) biblical topography d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: In 1841 Jacques Boucher de Perthes proposed the great antiquity of humankind, based on his discovery of a) ancient metal axes b) human skeletal remains below those of the biblical flood layers c) stone hand axes with the remains of extinct animals d) metal axes with human remains e) none of the above

Q: C.J. Thomsen, a Danish scholar, was responsible for classifying artifact collections and, based on those classifications, he created a conceptual scheme known as a) uniformitarianism b) the Three Age system c) cultural ecology d) processualism e) none of the above

Q: An effective way to understand how the archaeological record was formed is the study of the material culture and behavior of living cultures. Such an approach is known as a) ethnoarchaeology b) observational archaeology c) Neo-Marxism d) cultural ecology e) none of the above

Q: Proponents of the New Archaeology argued that archaeology should do which of the following? a) explain rather than describe b) test hypotheses c) be deductive rather than inductive d) design research to answer specific questions e) all of the above

Q: A key breakthrough in scientific methods applied to archaeological questions was the invention by Willard Libby of a) neutron activation analysis b) dendrochronology c) radiocarbon dating d) potassium-argon dating e) trace-element analysis

Q: In North America, the influential anthropologist Julian Steward emphasized the importance of environmental adaptation in cultural change. This approach was termed a) environmentalism b) cultural ecology c) eco-archaeology d) diffusionism e) processualism

Q: Many of the principal features of modern archaeology, particularly chronology and description, were established in the 19th century and continued to develop through the first half of the 20th century; this initial approach to archaeology is described by Gordon Willey and Jeremy Sabloff as a) processual b) classificatory-historical c) "New Archaeology" d) postprocessual e) environmental determinism

Q: The account of the Trojan war in the Iliad inspired the search for Troy by a) Thomas Jefferson b) Augustus Lane-Fox Pitt Rivers c) Sir Mortimer Wheeler d) Heinrich Schliemann e) Ephraim Squier

Q: The Rosetta Stone was found to be the key to a) deciphering Aramaic b) deciphering ancient Hebrew c) deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs d) deciphering Linear A e) deciphering the location of the Holy Grail

Q: A 19th-century pioneer in organized, precise excavation and recording methods was a) Oscar Montelius b) Charles Darwin c) C.J. Thomsen d) Augustus Lane-Fox Pitt Rivers e) James Hutton

Q: Credited with meticulous excavations and description, Sir William Flinders Petrie was also responsible for devising the technique of a) seriation (sequence dating) b) radiocarbon dating (C14) c) grid-square excavation methods d) regional survey e) all of the above

Q: One of the first to argue that the "Moundbuilders" were in fact ancestral to the living Native Americans was a) Ephraim Squier b) Caleb Atwater c) Samuel Haven d) Charles Darwin e) C. J. Thomsen

Q: Who formed the first cabinets of curiosities? a) Sigmund Freud b) Renaissance princes c) Sir John Soane d) the Aztecs e) none of the above

Q: James Hutton, author of Theory of the Earth (1785), studied the stratification of rocks and concluded that a) the same processes were continuing in the formation of the earth as in the past b) multiple catastrophes were responsible for the formation of the earth c) pressures of weight and gravity were solely responsible for earth's formation d) human activity (fires, forest depletion, dams, etc.) were responsible for the earth's formation e) none of the above

Q: Renfrew & Bahn argue that archaeology is a) a science b) a humanity c) history d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: According to Renfrew & Bahn, there are now a number of "archaeologies," including a) environmental archaeology b) underwater archaeology c) historical archaeology d) ethnoarchaeology e) all of the above

Q: Who is considered to be the first person to have conducted a scientific excavation of an ancient site? a) Thomas Jefferson b) General Pitt-Rivers c) Sir William Flinders Petrie d) Willard Libby e) Charles Darwin

Q: The quiet philanthropy of volunteers has a. endowed professorships. b. paid for excavations. c. supported students. d. all of the above

Q: Archaeology could not function without a. money. b. the government. c. investors. d. volunteers.

Q: There is a strong tradition of amateur scholarship in archaeology, especially in a. Europe. b. the U.S. c. Africa. d. Mexico.

Q: Archaeology depends on informed amateur archaeologists who a. volunteer on excavations. b. volunteer in museums. c. volunteer in laboratories. d. all of the above

Q: One of the tasks of a beginning teacher of archaeology is to a. recruit people to the field. b. create an "in-group" who knows about radiocarbon testing. c. create what the National Science Foundation calls "an informed citizenry." d. teach all you know about American archaeology.

Q: Part of our ethical responsibilities to the past does NOT include a. reporting new finds. b. recording the location of any collected artifacts. c. respecting the sanctity of all burial sites. d. obeying tribal laws.

Q: Modest antiquities fetch high prices in international markets because a. archaeologists seldom sell what they have found. b. supply far exceeds demand. c. demand far exceeds supply. d. artifacts are worth their weight in gold.

Q: The destruction of archaeological sites continues through the a. inaction by disinterested citizens. b. demand for antiquities. c. profession of archaeology. d. tourist industry.

Q: The Ph.D. is a specialized degree that will qualify you to work a. as a faculty member at a research university. b. in private and government sectors. c. in research only. d. as a gopher at excavations and digs.

Q: A Master of Arts degree qualifies you to work a. as a faculty member at a research university. b. in private and government sectors. c. in research only. d. as a gofer at excavations and digs.

Q: An undergraduate degree in archaeology qualifies you to work a. as a faculty member at a research university. b. in private and government sectors. c. at most larger companies. d. as a gofer at excavations and digs.

Q: Most public archaeology activity operates through a. academic archaeology. b. private sectors. c. larger companies. d. government.

Q: Entry level archaeologists will find the best opportunities and career potential in a. academic archaeology. b. the private sector. c. larger companies. d. government.

Q: All archaeologists are concerned with careful stewardship of the a. conservation of artifacts. b. archaeological sites. c. human past. d. pre-historical past.

Q: A career in managing and saving the archaeological record is in a. academic archaeology. b. public archaeology. c. museum jobs. d. conservation jobs.

Q: If you want to become an academic archaeologist, beware of becominga. highly technical.b. over-specialized.c. over-educated.d. broadly-educated.

Q: Most academic archaeology in American universities is NOT carried out in a. Europe. b. Mesoamerica. c. the Andes. d. North America.

Q: Undergraduate and graduate training is dominated by a. academic archaeology. b. government and private sectors. c. research archaeology. d. field archaeology.

Q: In the past, almost all archaeologists worked in museums or research facilities as a. academic archaeologists. b. self-employed archaeologists. c. government and private sector employees. d. teams of academic archaeologists.

Q: Most archaeology in North America is administered or carried out by a. academic archaeologists. b. self-employed archaeologists. c. government and private sectors. d. teams of academic archaeologists.

Q: Because jobs are rare and the competition intense, it is not a great time to become a. an archaeologist. b. an academic archaeologist. c. employed by the private sector. d. employed by the government.