Deck 3: Doing Fieldwork Surveying For Archaeological Sites

Question 1

If an archaeologist excavates one archaeological site, and makes generalizations about the prehistoric society as a whole from what he or she finds at that one site, then the generalizations will most likely be:

A) applicable to the society as a whole as long as the excavated site was a "typical" site.
B) applicable to the society as a whole as long as the society consisted of hunter-gatherers rather than agriculturalists.
C) applicable to the society as a whole as long as the society consisted of agriculturalists rather than hunter- gatherers.
D) biased, representing only part of the range of activities that the society was involved in.

Answer 1

biased, representing only part of the range of activities that the society was involved in.

Question 2

Archaeologists employ systematic regional surveys mainly to:

A) discover good places to excavate.
B) arrive at accurate descriptions of the range of archaeological material across a landscape.
C) verify that extensive geographic regions were unoccupied prehistorically.
D) maintain their funding from academic institutions.

Answer 2

arrive at accurate descriptions of the range of archaeological material across a landscape.

Question 3

What did Thomas and Kelly learn from the Carson-Stillwater survey?

A) The hypothesis that wetlands had been the focus of a sedentary settlement system could not be rejected.
B) The hypothesis that the wetland was only one stop on a seasonal round that included the pinon forests could not be rejected.
C) Neither hypothesis was able to provide an adequate reconstruction of prehistoric Carson Desert and Stillwater Mountain settlement systems; both were therefore rejected.
D) Neither hypothesis could be rejected, thus showing that their sampling design was inherently flawed.

Answer 3

Neither hypothesis was able to provide an adequate reconstruction of prehistoric Carson Desert and Stillwater Mountain settlement systems; both were therefore rejected.

Question 4

Archaeological shovel-testing is:

A) a destructive survey technique that archaeologists no longer use.
B) an important method of identifying sites in areas characterized by soil buildup.
C) an important method of identifying sites in areas characterized by deflation.
D) only necessary in agricultural regions where archaeologists must survey. plow-zones.

Question 5

Once archaeologists decide on their survey sample universe, they must then decide on the sample fraction. The sample fraction is:

A) the percentage of the sample universe that is surveyed.
B) survey units of a standard size and shape, determined by the research questions and practical considerations.
C) the region that contains the statistical population and that will be sampled.
D) a survey universe that has been divided into several sub-universes.

Question 6

A settlement pattern is the:

A) distribution of archaeological sites across a region.
B) movements and activities of a prehistoric population, inferred from the distribution of archaeological sites across a region.
C) same thing as a seasonal round.
D) pattern of artifacts within an archaeological site that results from the settlement of a prehistoric population at that site.

Question 7

Non-site archaeology is:

A) analysis of archaeological patterns on a regional scale, rather than of patterns within a single site.
B) analysis of small-scale patterns of artifact distribution, such as those from a single site.
C) the most common type of archaeology practiced today; archaeologists have largely abandoned the concept of a "site."
D) useful when dealing with fairly small areas, but becomes impractical on the scale of kilometers.

Question 8

If the hypothesis that the wetlands of the Carson desert had been the focus of a sedentary settlement system was correct, then Thomas and Kelly should have found:

A) small, sparse settlements in the wetlands, and more intensive resource utilization of surrounding areas.
B) dense scatters of waste flakes and broken tools, or other remains of villages occupied for years at a time, in the wetlands.
C) mostly projectile points in the wetlands, with little or no accompanying waste flakes.
D) abundant manos and metates in the pinon-juniper forests.

Question 9

The quality of information collected through survey cannot be directly affected by the:

A) sampling strategy.
B) working conditions.
C) transect interval.
D) age of archaeologist.

Question 10

Which of the following is not basic to the reasons why archaeologists conduct random sampling?

A) Without random sampling the samples would be biased, with certain parts of the sample over- or under- represented, and therefore the final results would be biased.
B) Random sampling provides the only way for archaeologists to collect meaningful negative evidence.
C) Random sampling allows statistical analysis.
D) Each site does not have an equal chance of being included in the sample.

Question 11

In the Smithsonian site number 26CH798, the number "26" stands for the:

A) number of the county (arranged alphabetically) in which the site is located.
B) number of the state (arranged alphabetically) in which the site is located.
C) site's sequential number within the county in which it is located (in other words, it was the 26th site recorded in the county).
D) type of site it is (e.g., a lithic scatter, ceramic scatter, pueblo, etc.).

Question 12

Deflation is:

A) a cultural process whereby one population's technology becomes adopted by another population in a different geographic region.
B) a geologic process whereby fine sediment is blown away by the wind and larger items are lowered onto a common surface.
C) an archaeological phenomenon in which excavations produce fewer and fewer artifacts with increasing depth.
D) a geologic process that results in rapid and complete burial of material remains.

Question 13

Archaeological sites are defined on the ground by:

A) a set of objective procedures used by all archaeologists to ensure standardization across the discipline.
B) often subjective interpretations of artifact density.
C) determining the boundaries of the discrete behavioral entities represented by the site.
D) the entire survey unit.

Question 14

"Gumshoe survey" is a good way to:

A) find rare or spectacular sites.
B) find common sites such as small lithic or potsherd scatters.
C) provide the context necessary for interpreting rare or spectacular sites.
D) obtain a 100% reconnaissance of a particular region.

Question 15

An archaeological site is any place where:

A) material evidence about the human past exists in a buried context.
B) artifacts exist alongside more substantial archaeological remains, such as structures.
C) a concentration of material evidence exists about the human past.
D) material evidence about the human past has been discovered by systematic archaeological survey.

Question 16

A UTM grid is not:

A) a grid that divides the world into 1x1 meter squares.
B) the same things as a Universal Tranverse Mercator grid.
C) very useful for archaeological survey.
D) without a means to designate north and east coordinates.

Question 17

The Chaco experiment, conducted by Judge, Hitchcock, and Ebert, showed that survey samples are:

A) very good at recording the general character of a region.
B) not very good at finding the unique or rare sites of a region.
C) very good at recording the general character of a region and not very good at finding the unique or rare sites of a region.
D) very good at finding both the sites that represent the general character of a region, as well as the unique or rare sites.

Question 18

Which of the following items would not be useful to an archaeologist on survey?

A) Graph paper
B) A compass
C) A tape measure in centimeters
D) Flashlight

Question 19

The discovery of Gatecliff Shelter in Nevada was in part a result of:

A) old-fashioned "gumshoe survey."
B) the detailed knowledge of the landscape that many of the crew members possessed.
C) the fact that the shelter was a local attraction, well-known by the people of Austin.
D) oral traditions that had passed down through the generations.

Question 20

Remote sensing is:

A) the use of methods that employ some form of electromagnetic energy to detect and measure characteristics of an archaeological site.
B) any technique that is capable of subsurface exploration with little to no disturbance.
C) a technique that involves aerial photography and/or the use of color infrared film.
D) any technique that measures geophysical features on the scale of hundreds to thousands of meters.

Question 21

When we say statistical population we mean:

A) a range of archaeological material across a landscape.
B) a set of counts, measurements, or characteristics about which relevant inquiries are to be made.
C) the region that will be sampled.
D) the demographic count of a site.

Question 22

In order to understand the past, we need to examine the range of places where ancient peoples lived. Hunter- gathers' pattern of movement on the landscape is referred to as:

A) ecological adaptation.
B) seasonal round.
C) map triangles.
D) archeological round.

Question 23

Georeferenced means:

A) data is input to a GIS database using a common mapping reference.
B) data is mapped by hand using topographic maps.
C) data is mapped in relationship to geological features.
D) data is scanned using ground penetrating radar (GPR).

Question 24

The story of the search for the Mission Santa Catalina illustrates:

A) the utility of proton precession magnetometry for finding buried structures.
B) that soil resistivity survey, while sometimes useful, is extremely problematic as it is affected by soil wetness.
C) that ground-penetrating radar was not useful due to the shallowly-buried bedrock on St. Catherine's Island.
D) how a not-for-profit group does not sponsor a comprehensive program of research and conservation.

Question 25

Which of the following is not used as non-invasive, below ground archaeological survey techniques?

A) Aerial photography
B) Proton magnetometer
C) Ground penetrating radar
D) Excavation

Question 26

Mano is a term that refers to a:

A) fist-sized round, flat, handheld stone used for grinding foods.
B) large, flat stone used as a stationary surface upon which seeds, tuber, and nuts are ground.
C) settlement where there is evidence of hunting.
D) settlement where there is evidence of gathering.

Question 27

Which of the following is true about the ancient Chacoan road system?

A) Although once thought to be an extensive network of roads, aerial photography has shown the roads to be much less extensive than initially believed.
B) Although once thought to be an extensive network of roads, aerial photography has shown that they were not roads, but were in fact part of a vast canal system.
C) It was an elaborate and extensive network of roads, covering more than 250,000 square kilometers within New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
D) We now know that they were built strictly for economic purposes, to move goods to markets in Chaco Canyon.

Question 28

The usefulness of aerial photography for archaeology:

A) was not recognized until the 1960s, during the development of the "New Archaeology."
B) is limited to times of cloud cover or haze.
C) is limited to photographs taken at very high elevations, since this is where resolution is greatest.
D) lies in the fact that aerial photographs can show features that are too indistinct or too large to discern from the ground.

Question 29

As a result of Kantner's work at Chaco Canyon, it was determined that:

A) small stone shrines do not occur.
B) people did not use predicted footpaths on a regular basis.
C) large circular stone shires were almost always found with the roads, not the predicted pathways.
D) roads did not serve simply as part of the Chacoan economy.

Question 30

What limits surface surveys?

A) Survey cannot reveal rare sites.
B) Survey cannot replace excavation.
C) Survey can only find what lies on the ground.
D) Survey cannot be used in association with GIS.

Question 31

Global Positioning Systems operate:

A) by picking up continuously broadcast signals from at least four satellites.
B) inadequately and therefore are not accurate for archaeological work.
C) too expensively to aid most attempts at archeological inquiry.
D) by relying upon electric monitoring stations.

Question 32

A stratified random sample is:

A) a survey universe divided into several sub-universes.
B) a survey universe that is not divided into sub-universes.
C) a survey universe that cannot be given a Smithsonian number.
D) an ineffective way to gather and record information about sites.

Question 33

A proton precession magnetometer is useful for identifying subsurface magnetic anomalies. Such magnetic anomalies can indicate all of the following except:

A) the presence of subsurface artifacts.
B) archaeologically irrelevant magnetic "noise."
C) burned structures.
D) ancient hunter seasonal rounds.

Question 34

TIMS (Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner) can locate subsurface structures by:

A) using radar beams; hard buried surfaces reflect more energy than softer surfaces.
B) tracking how subsurface structures affect surface thermal radiation.
C) measuring magnetic anomalies caused by burned subsurface structures.
D) monitoring the electrical resistance of soils near buried structures.

Question 35

You are surveying in the Near East for archaeological sites, and come upon several artifacts on the ground surface. Historical documents suggest there was once a temple in this area. You think you have found the site. Because of the sacred nature of the site, you decide to excavate the least amount possible and thus want to know where the temple lies before getting out the shovels. How might you map the site without excavating it?

A) Use ground penetrating radar to detect the walls.
B) Use aerial photography to detect the outline.
C) Use random sampling to excavate a series of test pits across the site.
D) Use ground penetrating radar or aerial photography depending on their potential utility in this specific case.

Question 36

The result of only looking in "logical' places in a survey is that we will:

A) not bias the sample.
B) not bias the reconstruction of the past.
C) bias the sample.
D) not be conducting archaeology.

Question 37

Archaeologists conduct surveys because:

A) one site can reveal everything about an ancient society.
B) archeologists do not trust other archaeologists.
C) no single site reveals everything about an ancient society.
D) funding permits conducting surveys.

Question 38

Which of the following techniques was used by NASA in the 1980s to help identify the vast network of Chacoan roads in the southwestern United States?

A) Ground penetrating radar
B) Soil resistivity
C) Thermal infrared multispectral scanning (TIMS)
D) Aerial photography

Question 39

In landscape archeology, the term "landscape" means

A) Topographic features.
B) Material manifestations of the relation between humans and their environments.
C) Plant remains.
D) Geological formations.

Question 40

Many important archaeological sites have been found by ranchers, cowboys, farmers, sheepherders, and amateur archaeologists.

Question 41

TIMS (Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanning) is only useful when conducted at extremely high altitudes on cloudless days.

Question 42

The main goal of archaeological survey is to discover good places to excavate.

Question 43

Archaeological sites are generally named after the archaeologists who discovered them.

Question 44

Non-site archaeology focuses on patterns of artifacts from within a single site, rather than on regional patterns.

Question 45

While GIS has some practical archaeological applications, it is rarely used in archaeology today because it is costly and requires specialized training.

Question 46

Remote sensing techniques will probably completely replace archaeological excavation in the near future.

Question 47

Surface sites encountered on archaeological survey are generally not recorded because they lack the contextual relationships necessary to establish solid chronologies.

Question 48

Today's archaeology student should have at least some knowledge of GIS (geographic information systems).

Question 49

Soil resistivity works by measuring the amount of resistance radar waves encounter as they move below the ground.

Question 50

Areas with lots of variability in archaeological remains require smaller sample fractions than do areas of low variability.

Question 51

Even if an effective sampling strategy has been implemented, the quality of an archaeological survey can still be affected by factors like uncomfortable working conditions or terrain.

Question 52

An archaeologist's research question is a major factor in determining the size and shape of a survey area.

Question 53

"UTM" stands for "Universal Transverse Mercator", a grid system where north and east coordinates provide a location anywhere in the world.

Question 54

GIS (geographic information systems) allows archaeologists to quickly answer many spatial questions whose answers would otherwise be too time-consuming to calculate.