Deck 5: Conducting Fieldwork

Question 1

What do archaeologists use to set out the research questions, identify the kinds of data needed to address those questions, and select the appropriate field methods?

A) site survey
B) hypothesis
C) background research
D) research plan

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The first step in fieldwork is usually ________.

A) conducting a survey
B) beginning excavation
C) digging to bedrock
D) establishing a grid

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A total station is ________ used to map the location of each artifact.

A) a hand-drawn grid
B) a computerized laser survey
C) the datum
D) a walking survey

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Places to dig for archaeological artifacts are found in different ways but not ________.

A) accidentally
B) during an archaeological or research project
C) during a CRM project
D) by only using GPS

Question 5

The Paleolithic cave art discovered in this location became so popular, that a complete replica was created to avoid tourist damage to the actual site.

A) Altamira, Spain
B) Lascaux, France
C) Ardeche, France
D) Ubar, Oman

Question 6

A Global Positioning System alone can only do which of the following?

A) provide a 3-D picture of an archaeological site
B) help you locate promising dig sites
C) find buried archaeological sites for you
D) help you find your exact position on the globe

Question 7

Electrical resistivity and electrical conductivity are two techniques that pass an electric charge through the soil to ________.

A) build a picture of the subsurface
B) locate metals
C) locate burial sites
D) power a magnetometer

Question 8

A tell is ________.

A) discolored soil
B) an outcrop of rocks
C) a mound rising from the ground
D) different patterns of vegetation

Question 9

Archaeologists search ethnographic data and historical records as part of their ________.

A) datum
B) curation
C) background research
D) geophysical survey

Question 10

Aerial photography and spaceborne lasers are used for ________.

A) geophysical survey
B) remote sensing
C) provenience
D) grid design

Question 11

Surface collections and test-level excavations ________.

A) are done before the research design is written
B) aid in deciding where to excavate
C) are always done randomly
D) are done to provide evidence for funding

Question 12

The archaeological site at Ubar, Oman, was discovered ________.

A) using ground terrain imaging radar
B) accidentally
C) as part of a large archaeological dig
D) by T. E. Lawrence

Question 13

The fixed point for mapping a grid of an archaeological site is called a ________.

A) provenience
B) datum
C) posthole
D) tell

Question 14

A sampling approach in which sample units are chosen randomly is called a ________.

A) statistical sample
B) judgment sample
C) subjective sample
D) nonrandom selected sample

Question 15

Which of the following is not an instrument for finding things underground?

A) metal detector
B) side-scan sonar
C) magnetometer
D) ground-penetrating radar (GPR)

Question 16

Postholes, auger probes, and trenches are ________.

A) used in establishing a grid
B) used in curation
C) mostly used randomly
D) common excavation unit types

Question 17

Common tools used for excavation include all of the following except for what?

A) bulldozers
B) paintbrushes
C) dynamite
D) dental tools

Question 18

In archaeological terms, what does the Latin phrase "in situ" mean?

A) in transition
B) carefully removed
C) typical
D) in place

Question 19

What is the excavation term for sifting soil to recover objects?

A) dusting
B) meshing
C) screening
D) prospecting

Question 20

What are specialists who examine human skeletal remains called?

A) palynologists
B) molecular biologists
C) geomorphologists
D) osteologists

Question 21

The overall director of an archaeological project is called the ________.

A) head excavator
B) principal investigator
C) field sponsor
D) chief administrator

Question 22

The process of conserving material, preparing it for storage, and then storing it is called ________.

A) preservation
B) curation
C) cataloging
D) morguing

Question 23

In the discovery of the two pre-European-contact Cherokee houses, how did archaeologists take the evidence collected to piece together a history of the houses and a better understanding of the Cherokee way of life?

Question 24

In locating promising places to dig, why do archaeologists often look for tells or discolored soil?

Question 25

Describe the need for a wide range of specialists working on archaeological sites.

Question 26

What are some of the occupational hazards that archaeologists regularly encounter?

Question 27

What are the ethical issues involved with excavating a Native American site?