Deck 9: Materiality: Constructing Social Relationships and Meanings With Things

Question 1

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, was established

A) a resolution to disputes between Native American groups and museums
B) a fair means of determining an appropriate final resting place for human remains
C) the ownership of human remains and important cultural objects
D) all of the above

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Historical markers along American highways

A) are well researched so they can present a truthful historical analysis for the public
B) present a simplified view of history, and usually one that is favorable to the current residents
C) are compromises intended not to offend anyone
D) are unimportant to the study of social relationships

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The process of managing and preserving prehistoric and historic heritage, usually through the collection of material objects, is referred to as

A) prehistoric and historic archaeology
B) historic preservation management
C) cultural resource management
D) NAGPRA

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The power dimension of an object reveals the underlying nature of

A) the relationship between the source of the object and its holder
B) the value of an object as it is seen through the perspective of the holder
C) the worth of an object as seen by the source or maker
D) the significance of the object at the time it was removed from the source

Question 5

For anthropologists the most important aspect of any object is

A) its aesthetic quality
B) the value of the object at an auction
C) how it exists within a set of human social relationships
D) how the use of its raw materials affects the environment

Question 6

When anthropologists look at an object according to the dimension of history, they are referring to

A) where and by whom it was made
B) how the object was produced
C) how interpretations of the object have changed over time
D) all of the above

Question 7

What do archaeologists do when conducting ground surveys?

A) walk over a specific area and collect any artifacts found on the ground
B) use aerial surveys to determine the best place to begin an excavation
C) interview local residents about the ways they interact with the land
D) partner with geologists to determine the stratigraphy of an area

Question 8

The idea that things have social lives refers to which of the following?

A) a belief in animism because objects are often linked to particular spirits
B) most objects that anthropologists study are either relics or sacred objects
C) the fact that objects are deeply intertwined with people's lives
D) objects are only important if they are popular in a particular society

Question 9

Which is a primary method for archaeologists?

A) ground surveys
B) visual documentation
C) regional, aerial, and satellite surveys
D) all of the above

Question 10

The construction of an office building in New York in the 1990s that uncovered an early African American burial ground illustrates the complexities of

A) the management of cultural sites
B) how artifacts are interpreted and history is told
C) the politics of archaeology
D) all of the above

Question 11

What does GIS stand for?

A) Geographical Information Systems
B) Geological Implementation Surveys
C) Genomic Individuation Surveys
D) Geo-political Information Sharing

Question 12

No one can completely "own the past," and this means, in part, that the past

A) is a cultural construction
B) must be claimed by someone who is most familiar with it
C) is always subject to change
D) since it is not possible to agree on any interpretation, there must be a consensus as to its meaning

Question 13

A __________ is a place where people lived at some time in the past, perhaps repeatedly over a number of seasons.

Question 14

The primary challenge with understanding an object displayed in a museum is that all of the __________ has been removed.

Question 15

The social life of __________ refers to the changing meanings and significance that objects take on over years, decades, and even centuries.

Question 16

Just as people pass through different socially recognized phases of life, objects also have a kind of __________ with recognizable phases, from their creation, exchange, and uses to their eventual discard.

Question 17

Anthropologist George W. Stocking, Jr., suggested that researchers should try to look at objects in seven __________, beyond just height, width, and depth, to discern the deeper meaning.

Question 18

One reason that __________ cannot fully resolve all disputes over burial remains found in museums is that these remains are often poorly documented.

Question 19

Material culture consists only of the objects made in preindustrial societies.

Question 20

NAGPRA as a solution to grave goods and cultural object ownership applies in all countries that are UNESCO members.

Question 21

The World Heritage Site program can only delist sites if the host country fails to protect it.

Question 22

The stereotype that Tahitian women were sexually promiscuous emerged almost overnight after the arrival of Captain Samuel Wallis in 1767, when Tahitians recognized that the British had iron that the crew would exchange for sexual favors.

Question 23

Collections in a museum are a completely reliable way to establish the ownership of an object.

Question 24

One of the obvious challenges that a museum faces in the acquisition, presentation, and description of objects from other cultures revolves around differences in

A) ownership
B) preservation
C) meaning
D) aesthetic judgement

Question 25

Some of the early resistance to NAGPRA came from anthropologists and archaeologists because they felt that

A) Native Americans were attempting to seize control of all material objects
B) Native American prehistory was part of human heritage
C) museums would become likely targets for violent protests
D) Native Americans would never attempt to properly preserve these objects

Question 26

Native American tribes using CRM differ from non-Indian agencies in how they view heritage management, because non-Indian agencies see heritage resources as

A) material objects that should be handled only by specially trained personnel
B) markers of important spiritual meaning
C) tangible things that can be studied scientifically
D) obstacles to be overcome in order to progress

Question 27

The way in which anthropologists and archaeologists now view the material objects of a culture holds that all objects are

A) multidimensional
B) monodimensional
C) culturally appropriated
D) sacred as well as material

Question 28

For anthropologists, the value of an object is an important way to understand

A) who can fund the effort needed to acquire an object
B) the way in which the object was valued in order to acquire it
C) who has wealth and social status
D) the place in terms of its intrinsic value of that object in a cultural hierarchy

Question 29

The complex nature of a collection of objects in a museum can open a window into an understanding of

A) the extent of colonialism's brutality
B) the nature of trade networks
C) local systems of material valuation
D) local systems of meaning

Question 30

What can surface collections tell us?

A) the biodiversity at a given site
B) who lived in the area, but not why
C) what has happened on the uppermost layers of soil
D) all of the above

Question 31

Where does the archaeological process usually begin?

A) with the discovery of a significant monument
B) with artifacts in a museum collection
C) with a set of questions an archaeologist wants to answer
D) with a designated spot for excavation

Question 32

Which of the following is not one of the ways that objects change over time?

A) the form, shape, color, material, and use may change from generation to generation
B) an object changes significance and meaning as its social and physical contexts change
C) as an object changes hands, its significance and meaning change
D) an object always becomes less valuable and less significant as it ages and deteriorates over long periods of time

Question 33

Anthropologists Alfred Kroeber and Jane Richardson made a detailed study of skirt length over the 300 years prior to World War II. Which of the following characterizes their conclusions?

A) many aspects of women's dress styles changed during every period
B) women consistently sought to be fashionable
C) skirt length changed in regular cycles
D) all of the above

Question 34

Why do archaeologists dig test pits?

A) to determine where it is physically easiest to excavate
B) to determine if the site is suitable to answer their research questions
C) to test how environmental factors affect the artifacts they have discovered
D) to get rid of the buildup of sedimentation found on top of key artifacts

Question 35

The acquisition of material culture, primarily by museums but sometimes by collectors, often results in

A) loss of the object's original context
B) missing archaeological "signature" data
C) loss of object value due to physical mishandling
D) deterioration of the object due to poor handling procedures

Question 36

Thrones, staffs, shrines, and distinctive or ornamented objects are often used to display __________ and status.

Question 37

One of the reasons that museums rushed to collect objects in the late 1800s was due to a fascination with the __________.

Question 38

The National Historic Preservation Act required government agencies to consider the effects of __________ on historical or archaeological sites.

Question 39

One of the common results of object acquisition and display is the way it reveals underlying social __________.

Question 40

Only federally recognized Native American tribes can request repatriation through NAGPRA.

Question 41

The aesthetic dimension of an object is universally shared.

Question 42

Historical markers are generally something that conveys a limited range of meaning about an object, place, or event.

Question 43

The first real protection for the preservation of archaeological sites in the United States was put in place in 1966.

Question 44

You are the director of operations for a housing development that will, on completion, offer a chance for low-income persons to secure decent housing in a good neighborhood. During construction, it is reported that a number of strange objects have appeared in the debris from one of the foundations. To deal with this problem, you would most likely call upon

A) an archaeologist familiar with the state laws concerning NAGPRA
B) an anthropologist familiar with the problems of low-income housing
C) an archaeologist trained in cultural resource management
D) another construction specialist who has coped with this kind of thing before

Question 45

In addition to the properties of a material object that describe the basic physical characteristics, anthropologist George Stocking argued that there were additional traits or dimensions that were crucial to understanding an object. These included

A) time, money, aesthetics, and power
B) time, wealth, aesthetics, and power
C) time, wealth, application, and power
D) time, wealth, acquisition, and power

Question 46

Just before World War II anthropologists Alfred Kroeber and Jane Richardson published one of the earliest analyses of a modern commodity, focusing in particular on women's skirts. If you were going to build on their study by examining basketball shorts and jerseys, which of the following would you collect data about?

A) the size of men's basketball shoes and how these are related to the average height of American men
B) the technological advancement in sports gear
C) the style of basketball shorts from one period to another
D) the association between jersey quality and success in shooting baskets

Question 47

If you were an archaeologist working on a site that you thought was previously inhabited but had been razed by farmers, only leaving flat farmland, which archaeologist method would be most suited for your work?

A) remote sensing
B) aerial photography
C) ethnography
D) sedimentation

Question 48

A century ago, studies of objects were largely studies of material culture and the technology available to people living in small-scale societies with simple technologies. The modern anthropological approach to objects has done which of the following?

A) caused anthropologists to challenge whether these museum collections were representative of the technologies of the time or if they were biased
B) led anthropologists to recognize that objects change meaning over time
C) pushed anthropologists to take a critical approach to the motives of the collectors of these early museum collections
D) all of the above

Question 49

If an archaeologist were to collaborate with a geologist and a geomorphologist, which project would they be most interested in working on together?

A) the role of cookbooks in early 20^th century Finnish dietary choices
B) the intersection of political and environmental shifts in contemporary Sri Lanka
C) statistical analyses of primate body mass and size
D) how prehistoric shifts in landscape affected human settlement patterns in Ireland

Question 50

Explain the reasons Native Americans have emphasized repatriation as a goal.

Question 51

What does the dimension of power reveal about an object?

Question 52

How does the example of Barjani's bowler hat illustrate that objects have "social lives"?

Question 53

How does the example of the Maori meeting house in the Field Museum represent a workable approach to other conflicts over the holding of cultural artifacts?

Question 54

During the Second World War, the Nazis looted private homes of the artworks of famous artists. Should current holders of artwork obtained through Nazi connections, whether known or not, be required to return them? How should such repatriation take place, and who should oversee this process?

Question 55

Consider any object belonging to a close friend, family member, or roommate. Explain how this object has several dimensions and how these dimensions would help you understand your subject's outlook, goals, aspirations, and identity in the world.

Question 56

The text focuses on materiality and material culture, which subsumes the "things" we have, hold, use, and exchange in the course of our lives. Consider the existence of virtual worlds-Fortnite, Minecraft, Worlds of Warcraft, even Bitcoins-that are distinctly non-physical, non-material, and yet each one has within it a very real kind of materiality. It is possible to purchase special credits or things as part of a virtual world or game, and Bitcoin, the invention of an anonymous individual, has gradually become a means by which physical objects can in fact be purchased. How can we evaluate these "things" as material culture? What might some of the implications for future archaeologists be who "excavate" a virtual space?

Question 57

The second Iraq invasion by the United States saw a major swell of protest and anger by many different segments of the Iraqi population. Mixed in with these protests were numerous others for whom the invasion and revolts offered an opportunity for self-enrichment. Among the many things that fell victim to these people was the Iraqi museum, home to a vast collection of antiquities that truly may represent milestones in human history. Given the absence of any legal means, what kinds of strategies might an anthropologist use to discover and possible recover these stolen objects? In the case where an object is recovered, where should it be housed and why?

Question 58

What role do you think the anthropology of art, objects, and visual culture could play in how advertisers, manufacturers, and filmmakers design and present their products to the public?

Question 59

When colleges and universities hold convocations and graduations, faculty members in the procession wear cap and gown. Each represents the highest academic degree, general field of study, and the university where the professor's highest degree was granted. Most faculty members understand the color symbolism of their caps and gowns, but students and their parents often do not. What meaning is being conveyed to students and parents if they do not understand what the different colors encode? Does it matter if faculty members do not know what the different gowns and caps represent?