Question 1

An important threshold number in human demography is __________________.&#10;A) 5&#10;B) 50&#10;C) 500&#10;D) 5000

Accepted Answer

The number 500 is often cited as an important threshold in human demography, particularly in the context of minimum viable population (MVP). MVP refers to the smallest possible size at which a biological population can exist without facing the risk of extinction from natural disasters or genetic problems. While the exact number can vary depending on specific conditions and assumptions, 500 is a commonly used benchmark in discussions about conservation and sustainable population sizes.

Question 2

The geographic coverage of this book includes __________________.&#10;A) the Western Hemisphere&#10;B) only the contiguous forty-eight states&#10;C) only the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean&#10;D) the Americas from the Arctic to Mesoamerica

Accepted Answer

The book's geographic coverage includes the Americas from the Arctic to Mesoamerica, encompassing North, Central, and South America.

Question 3

The basic anthropological vocabulary used to classify polities includes the terms &#34;band,&#34; &#34;tribe,&#34; &#34;chiefdom,&#34; &#34;state,&#34; and __________________.&#10;A) nation&#10;B) empire&#10;C) conglomerate&#10;D) kingdom

Accepted Answer

The missing term in the list is "empire," which refers to a large, multi-ethnic or multi-national polity that extends its control over conquered territories through military or economic means. While "nation" and "kingdom" are also valid political classifications, they do not necessarily fit within the specific sequence of political complexity that is typified by bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states. "Conglomerate" is not a common term used in anthropology to describe political organization.

Question 4

The common usage terms BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) are equivalent to __________________ and __________________, respectively.&#10;A) BP, BCE&#10;B) BCE, CE&#10;C) CE, BCE&#10;D) These terms do not have any equivalents.

Accepted Answer

BP stands for "Before Present" and is commonly used in scientific dating methods. BCE (Before Common Era) is the secular equivalent of BC, and CE (Common Era) is the secular equivalent of AD. Therefore, the best choice is B, which has the secular equivalents of both BC and AD.

Question 5

Archaeology is a scientific discipline that does not include the study of __________________.&#10;A) fossils&#10;B) ecology&#10;C) chronology&#10;D) history

Accepted Answer

Archaeology does not include the study of fossils, as that is primarily the domain of paleontology. Archaeology focuses on human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is not a fundamental principle of biological evolution?&#10;A) members of any breeding population vary in outward appearance and genetic makeup&#10;B) individuals better adapted to their environments will reproduce more successfully than those who are less well adapted&#10;C) information can be transmitted between non-biologically related individuals&#10;D) most of an organism's makeup is inherited from its parents

Accepted Answer

The principle that information can be transmitted between non-biologically related individuals is not a fundamental principle of biological evolution. This is because evolution deals with genetic changes and inheritance within populations over time, rather than information transmission between individuals.

Question 7

North American archaeology is important to science and our understanding of human societies because __________________.&#10;A) people lived longer in the Americas than in other parts of the world&#10;B) it reveals that civilization arose independently more than once&#10;C) there has been less destruction of archaeological remains here than elsewhere&#10;D) there's more money in it than there is in Classical archaeology

Accepted Answer

North American archaeology is important because it has revealed that civilization arose independently in multiple locations, challenging the long-held belief that it originated in a single region and spread from there. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of human development and societal organization. Options A and D are not relevant to the importance of North American archaeology, and option C is only partially true, as there has been significant destruction of archaeological sites in North America, particularly through colonialism and development.

Question 8

__________________ and evolution are central scientific themes emphasized in your book that help archaeologists explain the past.&#10;A) ecology&#10;B) history&#10;C) geology&#10;D) pedology

Accepted Answer

Ecology and evolution are central themes in archaeology as they help explain how past human societies interacted with their environments and how they changed over time.

Question 9

A connubium is best defined as __________________.&#10;A) a social gathering that is used only to formalize marriage alliances&#10;B) an abstract social unit consisting of a band and related surrounding bands&#10;C) a building where feasts take place during certain times of the year&#10;D) a formal political relationship between two neighboring Native American tribes

Accepted Answer

A connubium refers to a social unit or network, often involving marriage alliances, typically among bands or groups that are related or connected.

Question 10

The selective use of archaeological data to back fantastical claims such as Norse rune stones in Minnesota, Mayan glyphs of aliens, or African sculptors in Mexico are examples of popular __________________.

A) science
B) tradition
C) archaeology
D) pseudoarchaeology

Accepted Answer

The use of archaeological data to make unsupported claims is a hallmark of pseudoarchaeology, which involves making claims that lack sound scientific evidence. The examples given in the question, such as Norse rune stones in Minnesota and African sculptors in Mexico, are not supported by mainstream archaeological research and are therefore considered examples of pseudoarchaeology.

Question 11

A 1300-year return to cold conditions at the end of the Pleistocene is known as the __________________.&#10;A) Pleistocene&#10;B) Upper Paleolithic&#10;C) Younger Dryas&#10;D) Little Ice Age

Accepted Answer

The answer of A 1300-year return to cold conditions at...

Question 12

What is the physical or social constraint that forces growing populations to increase density?&#10;A) tradition&#10;B) circumscription&#10;C) cities&#10;D) focal adaptation

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the physical or social constraint...

Question 13

__________________ findings are based on evidence and observation, rather than intuition or assumption.&#10;A) empirical&#10;B) theoretical&#10;C) deductive&#10;D) reductive

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________________ findings are based on evidence and...

Question 14

Just as in law, __________________ forestalls convictions in the absence of evidence, in science it prevents truth from being overtaken by fantasy.&#10;A) Occam's razor&#10;B) negative evidence&#10;C) DNA testing&#10;D) skepticism

Accepted Answer

The answer of Just as in law, __________________ forestalls convictions...

Question 15

The chief organizational principle of tribal society is__________________.&#10;A) kinship&#10;B) economics&#10;C) bureaucracy&#10;D) hierarchy

Accepted Answer

The answer of The chief organizational principle of tribal society...

Question 16

The last ice age occurred during the __________________ epoch.&#10;A) Holocene&#10;B) Pleistocene&#10;C) Miocene&#10;D) Anthropocene

Accepted Answer

The answer of The last ice age occurred during the...

Question 17

Small bands are at risk of extinction via __________________.&#10;A) other carnivores&#10;B) other bands&#10;C) random events&#10;D) civil unrest

Accepted Answer

The answer of Small bands are at risk of extinction...

Question 18

The geologic epoch between the Pleistocene and today is known as the __________________.&#10;A) Quaternary&#10;B) Holocene&#10;C) Miocene&#10;D) Eocene

Accepted Answer

The answer of The geologic epoch between the Pleistocene and...

Question 19

Scientists believe the burning of fossil hydrocarbons during the Industrial Revolution has moved us into a new geologic epoch called the Anthropocene.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Scientists believe the burning of fossil hydrocarbons...

Question 20

Human culture is more than functional adaptations to changing environments because __________________.&#10;A) cultures often collapse&#10;B) much of our behavior is genetically determined&#10;C) migration and mobility define the human condition&#10;D) it goes beyond what is necessary for human survival

Accepted Answer

The answer of Human culture is more than functional adaptations...

Question 21

The Americas were not named the &#34;Columbias&#34; because __________________.&#10;A) Waldseem&#252;ller named it for Amerigo Vespucci in 1507&#10;B) Columbus thought he was in the East Indies, not a new continent&#10;C) Columbus named it after his friend, Amerigo Vespucci&#10;D) A and B only

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Americas were not named the &#34;Columbias&#34;...

Deck 1: Introduction