Deck 16: Archaeology Apos S Future

Question 1

The ethnohistoric record suggests that the Bighorn Medicine Wheel was:

A) a site for vision quests.
B) an astronomical observatory.
C) a two-dimensional imitation of the 28-raftered lodge built as part of the Sun Dance ceremony.
D) a burial ground.

Answer 1

a site for vision quests.

Question 2

The application of archaeological and bioarchaeological knowledge for legal purposes is:

A) bioarchaeology.
B) applied science.
C) forensic archaeology.
D) forensic science.

Answer 2

forensic archaeology.

Question 3

What types of archaeological knowledge could be useful for law enforcement personnel?

A) Knowing how to distinguish human from animal bone
B) Knowing how to probe the ground to determine the location of subsurface pits
C) Knowing how to read soil profiles, topographic maps, and soil reports, as well as map surface evidence
D) All of the answers are correct.

Answer 3

All of the answers are correct.

Question 4

An artificial mound of stones, deliberately constructed in order to aid navigation, as a memorial, or to mark the location of a grave is a:

A) medicine wheel.
B) trail marker.
C) cairn.
D) spiritual site.

Question 5

Archaeological evidence has shown that the Bighorn Medicine Wheel in the past was used as:

A) an astronomical observatory.
B) a directional aid for travelers.
C) a burial ground; the rock cairns were graves, each one marking where a powerful person was buried.
D) None of the answers are correct; we de not know what the Medicine Wheel was in the past.

Question 6

Wyoming's Bighorn Medicine Wheel site consists of:

A) a rock art panel depicting what is thought to represent a medicine wheel along with abstract representations of bighorn sheep.
B) a stone circle, or "wheel," nearly 90 feet in diameter, perched atop a 9640 foot high peak.
C) a large, continuously occupied pithouse village along the banks of the Bighorn River.
D) a portion of the natural landscape in the Bighorn Mountains that is sacred to Native American tribes in the region; the site itself contains nothing cultural in origin (in other words, no material remains).

Question 7

Archaeological evidence has been used to reintroduce ancient technology in areas where it might be useful, such as in Andean farming communities. Results of these experiments indicate that:

A) ancient technology cannot be effectively employed because the social, political, and economic systems of the past were completely different from those of today.
B) ancient technology can be highly efficient and cost effective even in the modern world.
C) modern communities are skeptical of the benefits of ancient technology, and are thus unwilling to invest resources in what they consider to be outdated techniques.
D) archaeologists do not know enough ancient technologies to effectively implement them in the modern world.

Question 8

It is important that archaeologists devote attention to public education because:

A) it is ultimately the public that financially supports archaeological research.
B) members of an educated public are far less likely to loot or vandalize archaeological sites.
C) it is ultimately the public that financially supports archaeological research and members of an educated public are far less likely to loot or vandalize archaeological sites.
D) None of the answers are correct; it is the archaeologist's job to conduct research, not waste valuable time and money talking to an uninformed public.

Question 9

The Battle of the Alamo is enshrined in American folklore as:

A) a "holy altar," where the martyrs' deaths of Texan soldiers successfully delayed Mexican forces and ultimately set up a victory for Texas.
B) a tragic and pointless slaughter of American soldiers by the Mexican troops who vastly outnumbered them.
C) an unexpected victory for Texan soldiers, who although they were drastically outnumbered by the Mexican army, fought heroically and were able to overcome the Mexican soldiers.
D) the ultimate triumph of good over evil, where Mexican soldiers, seeing the justness of the American cause, joined Texan troops to defeat the Mexican army.

Question 10

Why did Rathje resort to rooting through peoples' garbage rather than simply asking them questions about their consumption behavior?

A) Because people do not always answer questionnaires accurately and honestly.
B) Because the distribution of households made it impossible to conduct a random sample survey.
C) Because only garbage associated with abandoned houses could legally be examined, and there was therefore no one to ask.
D) Because so many households were included in the study, having people respond to questionnaires would have been an enormous and costly task.

Question 11

At Home St. Jean in Rwanda, forensic archaeologists concluded that a mass grave site was part of a program of genocide because:

A) cut marks on bones showed that many individuals were killed by machetes from behind, as if they were fleeing their attackers.
B) cut marks on the bones of hands and forearms showed that some people were unmercifully macheted to death with their arms raised in self defense.
C) the murdered civilians were unarmed.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 12

Applied archaeology:

A) brings the techniques of archaeology to non-traditional venues.
B) applies our knowledge of the human past to concrete economic or social problems.
C) can make archaeology relevant to the modern world.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 13

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT), the state-appointed custodians of the Alamo, for years discouraged mission-period research into the Alamo because:

A) they believed it would perpetuate animosity between the current Texan and Mexican populations.
B) they believed it would detract from the "true" historical significance of the Alamo as the cradle of Texas liberty.
C) they did not believe that the Alamo even existed during mission times, and so did not want to devote time and money into its research.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 14

Which of the following activities would an applied anthropologist be least likely to be involved in?

A) Evaluating domestic social programs looking for ways to improve them
B) Helping corporations improve corporate working conditions
C) Conducting research to better understand how and why the major social institutions evolved
D) Helping to develop culturally appropriate methods of delivering health care

Question 15

DiBlasi's archaeological research in Louisville's Eastern Cemetery:

A) documented abundant grave reuse in the cemetery and was important in the effort to prosecute the cemetery's operators.
B) pointed out the problems that can arise in Kentucky cemeteries where reuse of graves is not illegal.
C) showed that grave reuse began only in the late 1980s.
D) documented that grave reuse had not occurred, contrary to accusations by the backhoe operator.

Question 16

The difference between pure science and applied science is:

A) pure science is research to acquire the knowledge necessary to solve a specific, recognized problem, while applied science is systematic research directed toward acquisition of knowledge for its own sake.
B) pure science is systematic research directed toward acquisition of knowledge for its own sake, while applied science is research to acquire the knowledge necessary to solve a specific, recognized problem.
C) pure science is systematic research directed toward acquisition of knowledge for its own sake, while applied science is the application of scientific knowledge for legal purposes.
D) pure science has no hidden political agenda, while applied science does.

Question 17

A forensic archaeologist might be involved in:

A) using archaeological methods and techniques to help solve crimes.
B) training law enforcement personnel in basic archaeological principles.
C) documenting human rights violations by excavating mass grave sites.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 18

The Garbage Project was started in Tucson, Arizona in 1973 by:

A) Emil Haury.
B) William Rathje.
C) Wilson Hughes.
D) Clea Koff.

Question 19

As demonstrated by the Garbage Project's research into landfills, the bulk of American landfills are comprised of:

A) plastic.
B) paper.
C) construction materials.
D) aluminum.

Question 20

The Garbage Project demonstrated which of the following about America's landfills?

A) Thanks to the recent public focus on recycling, only about 1% of our landfills' space is taken up by paper products.
B) Disposable diapers, plastic bottles, and large appliances together make up roughly 50% of a landfill's volume.
C) Very little in our landfills actually biodegrades; after 20 years, from 1/3 to 1/2 of all organic materials are still recognizable.
D) Organic material tends to biodegrade rapidly in our landfills, leaving abundant room for other types of garbage; contrary to popular opinion, space for landfills around large cities is in no danger of running out.

Question 21

Which of the following is true of Kodiak Island archaeology today?

A) The Alutiiq people refuse to allow any archaeological investigations on the island.
B) The Alutiiq people have granted permission and provided resources for archaeological investigations, and actively promote educational programs on Alutiiq culture, language, and arts.
C) Only Alutiiq people are allowed to conduct archaeological investigations on the island.
D) The archaeological record of the island has been entirely lost due to winter storms and vandalism.

Question 22

In truth, archaeology the ramifications and conflicts involved when we take multiple versions of reality to the American public.

A) has grown weary of
B) is only beginning to appreciate
C) turns to the National Park Service to confront
D) teaches a hands-off policy regarding

Question 23

Kodiak Island in the far north is the aboriginal home to:

A) Hrdlička.
B) Russian Orthodox Church.
C) Alutiiq.
D) Kodiak bear.

Question 24

Ancient artificial channels dug along the Peru-Bolivia border

A) provided moisture during wet seasons.
B) served as heat sinks.
C) are not viable alternatives for rural development today.
D) was not cost effective.

Question 25

Nazi archaeology provides an example of:

A) the insight into prehistory that can be gained when a single group appropriates complete control over the past.
B) the misinterpretation and outright fabrication of prehistory that can occur when a single group appropriates complete control over the past.
C) how a love of prehistory and sound scientific reasoning can overcome social and political domination.
D) how archaeology can help people reestablish pride in their culture, history, and heritage.

Question 26

Archaeology contributes to our understanding of the human condition by

A) what it learns about the past.
B) how it goes about learning about the past.
C) assumptions that are proven to be correct.
D) what it learns about the past and how it goes about learning about the past.

Question 27

While prehistory was largely ignored in Germany prior to Hitler's rise to power, archaeological research flourished under Hitler's control. Nazi archaeology:

A) provided Europe with some of the best archaeological research that had ever been done, using cutting edge methods and sound scientific principles.
B) found evidence that Germanic people had emanated from a northern European core area, carrying with them all the major cultural achievements that then spread to the less civilized peoples of Europe.
C) was used to support claims for Aryan superiority, in spite of the fact that no such evidence existed.
D) found evidence of Aryan kings in locations as far away as Tibet and Iceland, thus proving the cultural and biological superiority of Germanic peoples.

Question 28

According to the textbook the Garbage Project recovered

A) a plastic bag with a compacted cigarette butts.
B) 40-year-old newspapers with hot dogs wrapped in them.
C) 80-year-old construction debris.
D) evidence of Audubon Society bird counts.

Question 29

In the future it will be most important for archeology to show that

A) information can be gathered using state-of-the- art digital technology.
B) how different environmental and historical circumstances work together to create diversity of human societies.
C) racist assumptions have basis in material data.
D) modern garbage holds the key to understanding our past.

Question 30

Archaeology is about the

A) living and dead.
B) past and future.
C) data necessary to prove science is infallible.
D) living and dead, and past and future.

Question 31

When Hrdlička excavated several hundred graves and thousands of associated artifacts from Kodiak Island in the 1930s and sent them to the Smithsonian Institution:

A) he made sure to obtain the permission of the living descendants first.
B) he saw no need to consult with the local community, viewing the bones and artifacts from a strictly scientific perspective.
C) he was able to do so without concern for the wishes of any descendants because the island was unoccupied at the time of excavation.
D) he was met with many volunteers from the local community who were eager to assist in his excavations so that they could learn more about their own history.

Question 32

During WWII some American archeologists volunteered their services in the war effort.

A) Several collaborated on "national character" studies that tried to characterize peoples who were either allies or enemies.
B) Ruth Benedict provided information that would ultimately prove critical for Allied forces occupying Japan during the prewar period.
C) The Human Terrain Team helped military see situations from an indigenous perspective.
D) They volunteered as servicemen and women, not as archaeologists.

Question 33

The more important role in archaeology in the future will be to

A) use archeological techniques to understand modern garbage.
B) gather data necessary to bring criminals to justice.
C) re-excavate ancient ruins with better technology.
D) knock down walls that often divide people of the world.

Question 34

The Bighorn Medicine Wheel today:

A) is off limits to the general public.
B) remains a sacred site to many contemporary Indian people, where ceremonies are performed to this day.
C) has been abandoned by contemporary Indian people because it is overrun by large crowds of tourists.
D) has been completely looted and destroyed; sadly, nothing of the original site remains.

Question 35

According to the textbook, the Garbage Project has studied a number of social issues, including

A) alcohol consumption.
B) cell phone communication.
C) underage use of prescription drugs.
D) gun trafficking.

Question 36

Brian Hatoff took the position when excavating Hidden Cave, outside Fallon, Nevada to

A) do the work quietly in order not to involve spectators.
B) protect the site from looting by not publishing his results.
C) carry out a public education campaign to encourage community participation.
D) close the site permanently.

Question 37

Most people think landfills are comprised of , when in fact the volume is going down.

A) plastics
B) appliances
C) paper
D) computers

Question 38

Repatriation is seen by:

A) archaeologists and other scientists as a tragedy that will only lead to the destruction of irreplaceable scientific materials.
B) Native Americans as social justice; reburial is the only way to right the wrongs inflicted by centuries of colonialism.
C) archaeologists as an ethical decision; archaeologists are not the only ones who own the past.
D) everyone as an extremely divisive issue; there is no one "Native American perspective" or one "archaeological" perspective.

Question 39

Professional archeologists have joined investigatory teams to

A) recover MIAs in Vietnam.
B) excavate mass graves of missing persons in Central America.
C) stop illegal slave trade.
D) recover MIAs in Vietnam and excavate mass graves of missing persons in Central America.

Question 40

Clea Koff earned her degree in anthropology and joined a team of experts brought together by

A) Society for Physicians and Archaeologists (SPA).
B) Criminal Tribunals International.
C) Physicians for Human Rights.
D) Society for American Archaeology (SAA).

Question 41

Archaeologists have an obligation to consider views that differ from their own equally valid; this includes frivolous claims made by individuals such as Erick von Däniken's claims that the Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens.

Question 42

The fact that Kodiak Island native community leaders granted permission for archaeological excavations, as well as provided funding and student interns for the project, showed that Alutiiq people do not object to archaeology, but to an archaeology that sees their participation as unnecessary.

Question 43

Research clearly demonstrates that the Bighorn Medicine Wheel in northern Wyoming was intentionally designed as an astronomical observatory, specifically to mark the summer and winter solstices.

Question 44

Archaeologists are playing an increasingly important role in the investigation of human rights abuses; for instance, professional archaeologists have been involved in recovering MIAs in Vietnam, excavating mass graves in South and Central America, and investigating massacre sites in places such as Croatia, El Salvador, and Rwanda.

Question 45

Forensic archaeology involves using established archaeological techniques and knowledge to assist law enforcement agencies for legal purposes.

Question 46

When Garbage Project workers investigated alcohol consumption in a sample of Tucson households, they found that the amount of beer people reported drinking and the amount of beer that they actually drank were quite different.

Question 47

One way or another, virtually all archaeological research depends on public support.

Question 48

Although archaeology can provide important information about what has happened in the past, the usefulness of archaeology is limited to largely intellectual pursuits; practical applications of archaeology that actual benefit the modern world are extremely rare.

Question 49

Archaeologist Richard Gould (Brown University) developed a volunteer archaeological unit including safety, medical, and public affairs experts designed to help at disaster scenes; this unit is called Forensic Archaeology Recover (FAR).

Question 50

Despite the high profile, few archaeologists are involved in public education.

Question 51

Because it is illegal to rummage through people's garbage, Rathje and colleagues needed to obtain written permission from every household whose garbage they analyzed.

Question 52

Archaeology can be used to further the political interests of particular groups of people. Nazi archaeologists, for example, argued that agriculture, music and writing systems first appeared in northern Germany and spread throughout the world from there; Hitler used such information to justify the need for Nazi domination of the world.