Q&A Hero

Q: The evidence from Zhoukoudian does not include A. Homo erectus fossils. B. plant seeds and remains. C. stone tools. D. bark containers.

Q: The first humans outside of Africa were A. users of blade tools. B. members of Homo erectus. C. found about 5 million years ago. D. dated to the Pliocene. E. members of Homo habilis.

Q: Zhoukoudian is located in A. Southwest Asia. B. Thailand. C. Java. D. China.

Q: Kalambo Falls and Olorgesailie are A. Acheulean sites in Spain. B. Acheulean sites in Africa. C. Clactonian sites in Africa. D. Acheulean sites in China.

Q: The handaxe is all of the following except A. the result of the percussion technique. B. the first fusion of metal (bronze) and stone. C. a characteristic tool of the Lower Paleolithic. D. an indication of planning by Homo erectus.

Q: The earliest Europeans are represented at the site of A. Olorgesailie. B. Atapuerca. C. Terra Amata. D. Torralba.

Q: Handaxes become more symmetric and regular over time, probably due to the use of __________. A. softer stone. B. bigger hammers. C. softer hammers. D. bigger stones.

Q: Homo erectus probably evolved from A. Homo habilis in Africa. B. Australopithecus in Asia. C. Homo sapiens in Europe. D. Homo neanderthalensis in the Near East.

Q: Discuss the basic principles of radiometric dating, including some description of both radiocarbon and radiopotassium methods.

Q: The Leakeys have worked at Olduvai Gorge for more than 40 years. Discuss the finds from Olduvai and their significance in terms of our understanding of human evolution.

Q: Compare the Plio/Pleistocene discoveries of human bone and artifacts from South and East Africa. Be sure to discuss the evidence from specific sites.

Q: The neighboring sites of Torralba and Ambrona A. are located in France. B. may represent organized elephant hunting by Homo erectus. C. contained Solutrean tools. D. are in the Italian Alps.

Q: The cranial capacity of Homo erectus is approximately A. the same as an orangutang. B. 1,000 cubic centimeters. C. 1,500 cubic centimeters. D. 500 cubic centimeters.

Q: The Acheulean lithic industry is characterized by the presence of handaxes and cleavers. The Acheulean was made by A. Homo habilis. B. Australopithecus afarensis. C. Australopithecus africanus. D. classic Neanderthals. E. Homo erectus.

Q: The controlled use of fire was definitely in evidence by the time of A. Homo habilis. B. Australopithecus africanus. C. Homo erectus. D. Australopithecus afarensis. E. Australopithecus robustus.

Q: Where do the first stone tools appear and when? What do these tools represent in terms of human evolution? Were the earliest tools made of stone?

Q: The discoveries at Olduvai are important because A. they documented the early presence of hominins in Africa. B. they provided the first finds of Homo sapiens. C. they gave the age of the first hominins as around 500,000 years ago. D. they shifted attention to East Asia as the cradle of human evolution.

Q: Oldowan tools were made by the _____ method. A. hard hammer percussion B. soft hammer percussion C. pressure flaking D. indirect percussion

Q: The site of Laetoli is important for all of the following reasons except A. evidence of bipedalism is preserved there in the form of footprints preserved in volcanic ash. B. evidence that Australopithecus afarensis was bipedal by 3.5 million years ago. C. evidence of a very brief moment in time is recorded here, atypical of the nature of most other hominin and archaeological sites. D. evidence of violent conflict among rival regional tribes

Q: "Lucy" is the nearly 40% complete skeleton of what hominin species? A. Australopithecus boisei B. Australopithecus africanus C. Homo habilis D. Homo erectus E. Australopithecus afarensis

Q: In a series of papers, Raymond Dart proposed which of the following as a bloodthirsty predator? A. A. boisei B. A. robustus C. H. habilis D. A. africanus

Q: The first Australopithecine fossil discovered in Africa was A. discovered in sedimentary deposits along ancient lakeshores. B. blasted out of ancient cave deposits using dynamite. C. never properly placed in an evolutionary scheme. D. eventually found to be a fraud.

Q: Sexual dimorphism refers to A. gendered handedness. B. tool use by males. C. difference in body size between the sexes. D. difference in typical social roles.

Q: Which of the following pairs is incorrectly matched? A. Olduvai Gorge and pebble tools B. Taung and A. africanus C. A. afarensis and Laetoli D. K/Ar and bone

Q: Footprints preserved in 3.6 million-year-old volcanic ash at Laetoli, Tanzania, indicate that A. some of our early ancestors may have worn crude sandals. B. A. africanus was on his/her way out of Africa. C. A. boisei and A. africanus both lived about 3.6 million years ago. D. A. afarensis was quadripedal. E. bipedalism definitely preceded marked brain expansion in human evolution.

Q: Which of the following is considered to be the first major development in hominin evolution? A. increased brain capacity B. tool making C. bipedalism D. sexual dimorphism

Q: Cutmarks on animal bones at early human sites indicate A. sexual dimorphism. B. use of stone tools. C. construction of shelter. D. violent intertribal conflict

Q: The earliest known fossil human ancestor is called A. Australopithecus. B. Paranthropus. C. Orrorin. D. Homo.

Q: The footprints at Ltoli were dated using A. radiopotassium dates on bone. B. radiocarbon dates on bone. C. radiopotassium dates on volcanic ash. D. radiocarbon dates on volcanic ash.

Q: The following term does not belong with Swartkrans A. australopithecine. B. Taung. C. C.K. Brain. D. breccia.

Q: Olduvai Gorge is all of the following except A. almost two million years old. B. home to a trove of garnet and onyx jewelry C. located in East Africa. D. a rich deposit of early hominin bones and stone tools.

Q: The footprints at Ltoli are A. 1 million years old. B. from hominin ancestors that walked on four legs. C. Pleistocene in age. D. 3.5 million years old.

Q: The earliest clear evidence of hominins outside of Africa A. occurs around about 6 million years ago. B. occurs around about 4 million years ago. C. occurs around 2 million years ago. D. occurs around 120,000 years ago.

Q: Fossils from the Hadar region include all of the following except: A. some of the earliest known human fossils. B. the remains of "Lucy." C. a group of individuals who apparently died at the same time. D. a boy buried next to an elephant.

Q: The Hadar region is located A. in South Africa. B. in the Near East. C. in West Africa. D. in Ethiopia.

Q: Oldowan artifacts include all of the following types except: A. pebble tools. B. flakes. C. manuports. D. spearthrowers

Q: Stone tools include all of the following characteristics except: A. intricate carvings. B. striking platform. C. sharp edges. D. bulbar surface.

Q: The most common technique for making stone tools at Olduvai was A. percussion. B. pressure. C. nucleation. D. addition.

Q: The age of the earth is approximately A. 15 billion years. B. 4.5 billion years. C. 1 billion years. D. 4,400 years.

Q: The _________ is not a division of the Cenozoic. A. Mesozoic B. Pliocene C. Pleistocene D. Recent

Q: Humans do not belong in the following category in the animal kingdom: A. primate B. hominoidea C. equus D. sapiens

Q: The dryopithecines were A. Pleistocene ape ancestors. B. ancestors of apes and humans. C. found only in North and South America. D. one of the earliest mammal forms.

Q: Primary characteristics of humanness include all of the following except: A. large brains. B. tool use. C. use of fire. D. bipedal locomotion.

Q: Paleoanthropology refers to A. the older generation of anthropologists. B. the study of human artifacts. C. the study of human evolution. D. manufacture of stone tools.

Q: Exotic materials are A. a result of performance and dance. B. always a product of craft production. C. usually of low value. D. foreign items.

Q: Hierarchical organization A. is often found among hunter-gatherers. B. is associated with rank or class in society. C. is a technique for classifying pottery and stone tools. D. is associated with egalitarian groups.

Q: What are the major components of human society that provide a focus of archaeological research?

Q: Why is social organization important to understand in the study of prehistoric societies?

Q: The oldest known stone artifacts are A. 3 to 5 million years old. B. 2 to 2.9 million years old. C. less than 1.5 million years old. D. from southern Chile.

Q: The Potassium/Argon (K/Ar or radiopotassium) method is used A. to measure the contribution of meat to the diet. B. to date items between 50,000 BP and the present. C. only on items from Olduvai Gorge. D. to date items more than 500,000 years old.

Q: The first person to recognize and name an australopithecine was A. Donald Johansen. B. Louis Leakey. C. Mary Leakey. D. Raymond Dart.

Q: C.K. Brain has argued that __________ were responsible for the deposits of human fossils in the caves of South Africa A. leopards B. elephants C. australopithecines D. geological forces

Q: The footprints at Ltoli indicate that A. very early hominins walked on four legs. B. very early hominins walked on two legs. C. very early hominins hopped on one leg. D. very early hominins used stone tools.

Q: Redistribution is A. a form of reciprocal exchange. B. a form of trade. C. a means of allotting foods and goods from a central place. D. the analysis of economic exchange.

Q: Petroglyphs are one kind of A. stone tool. B. ancient writing. C. rock art. D. cave or rockshelter.

Q: Some of the specialists involved in archaeological analysis might include a(n) A. electrician. B. archaeometrist. C. video artist. D. ear, nose, and throat specialist.

Q: Archaeozooloogy is the study of A. modern plant remains. B. prehistoric plant remains. C. site stratigraphy. D. prehistoric animals.

Q: The primary characteristics of artifacts include all of the following except: A. weight. B. technology. C. form. D. style.

Q: Pollen is (are) A. a type of lake sediment. B. microscopic plant material. C. a stratigraphic layer. D. long bones of horses.

Q: Faunal analysis can be used to learn about A. the location of a site. B. the number of layers at a site. C. the vegetation of the site. D. the animals at a site.

Q: Plant remains at archaeological sites include all of the following except A. pollen. B. leaves. C. seeds. D. wood. E. algae.

Q: Analysis of animal bones and teeth from an archaeological site can tell us A. how many animals lived at the site. B. what kinds of animals lived at the site. C. how many people lived at the site. D. what kinds of seeds people ate.

Q: Archaeozoologists can determine all of the following except A. the kinds of animals present at a site. B. whether hunting or scavenging was practiced. C. the religious significance of animal sacrifice. D. the age and sex of the animals at a site. E. how the animals were butchered.

Q: A(n) ________ is an example of an archaeological feature. A. arrowhead B. deer bone C. fireplace D. human bone

Q: The term "craft specialization" could best be applied to A. giving birth. B. working. C. fishing. D. making beads.

Q: The human skeleton is a storehouse of information on the individual who died and may provide estimates of the person's A. name. B. age. C. social security number. D. number of siblings.

Q: The size of an archaeological settlement depends on all of the following except A. the number of inhabitants. B. how long people have lived there. C. the kinds of activities that took place there. D. the climate of the surrounding region.

Q: Extraction sites are used for A. removal of teeth. B. building residential structures. C. burial of the dead. D. gathering raw materials.

Q: Archaeology is A. the study of variation among contemporary human groups. B. the collection, display, and marketing of exotic artifacts from temples and tombs. C. the study of the evolution of Homo sapiens. D. the study of culture and cultural evolution using the remains of past societies. E. the study of the origins of diversity of languages.

Q: The term ethnography refers to A. decipherment of ancient texts. B. analysis of the chemical composition of marble. C. descriptive studies of living peoples. D. study of prehistoric textiles.

Q: Field notes from archaeological surveys include A. the location of the site. B. the materials that were found. C. observations about the place. D. all of the above. E. none of the above.

Q: Phosphate analysis is used to A. determine the number of artifacts per square meter. B. interpret air photographs. C. date organic material. D. find traces of human activity.

Q: Excavation of an archaeological site A. involves the destruction of the place. B. a technique to uncover buried remains from the past. C. answers questions about prehistoric human activity. D. all of the above E. none of the above

Q: The term cosmology refers to A. mapping large areas. B. the interpretation of air photographs. C. ancient writing systems. D. origins myths.

Q: Careful excavation requires A. detailed map and grid. B. heavy machinery. C. air photography. D. all of the above. E. none of the above.

Q: Archaeologists do not work in A. national parks. B. private business. C. department stores. D. museums.

Q: A number of remote sensing techniques allows archaeologists to look for features buried in the ground without digging, including A. ground penetrating radar. B. accelerator mass spectrometry. C. electronic spades. D. dowsing rods. E. none of the above. F. all of the above.

Q: Stratigraphy is important in an archaeological excavation because it A. is a record of deposits at the site. B. always provides an accurate date for the site. C. insures good conditions for preservation. D. usually means that ancient bones are present.

Q: The phenomenon of bioturbation would be studied by a(n) A. geoarchaeologist. B. paleobotanist. C. lithic technologist. D. ethnographer.

Q: The analysis of archaeological materials A. is a relatively quick procedure. B. is necessary only at sites with architecture. C. is one of the most important steps in the process. D. takes place in the stratigraphy.