Question 1

____________________ is the study of animal bones found at archaeological sites.
A) Geoarchaeology
B) Human osteology
C) Vertebrate anatomy
D) Zooarchaeology

Accepted Answer

Zooarchaeology is the study of animal bones from archaeological sites, aiming to understand the relationships between humans and animals in the past.

Question 2

____________________ is a discipline that focuses on the study of pollen from archaeological sediments to reconstruct earlier environments.
A) Ethnoarchaeology
B) Paleoanthropology
C) Palynology
D) Remote sensing

Accepted Answer

Palynology is the study of pollen and spores, including their fossilized forms, which is used to reconstruct past environments and understand changes in climate and vegetation over time.

Question 3

____________________ is the study of human cultural and biological evolution, especially early hominins, by archaeologists and biological anthropologists.
A) Archaeology
B) Ethnobotany
C) Paleoanthropology
D) Zooarchaeology

Accepted Answer

Paleoanthropology is the branch of anthropology focused on the study of human evolution, particularly the development and culture of early hominins, combining archaeological and biological anthropology insights.

Question 4

____________________ is a specialty in which researchers study humanity's past, including analyses of cultural materials such as flaked stone artifacts, animal bones, prehistoric art, and personal ornamentations.
A) Archaeology
B) Biological anthropology
C) Cultural anthropology
D) Linguistic anthropology

Accepted Answer

Archaeology is the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains, which includes items like flaked stone artifacts, animal bones, and prehistoric art.

Question 5

Which of the following is a limitation of written records?
A) They may be biased.
B) They are a relatively recent development in the human past.
C) They rarely record the activities of everyday people.
D) All of the above.

Accepted Answer

Written records can be biased, are a relatively recent development in human history, and often do not include detailed accounts of the daily lives of ordinary people, making all the options correct limitations.

Question 6

One of the basic truths in archaeology is that _________________ is everything.
A) context
B) excavation
C) pedestrian survey
D) technology

Accepted Answer

Context is crucial in archaeology because it provides information about the location, association, and dating of artifacts, which are key to interpreting their significance and understanding past human activities.

Question 7

Archaeologists who work in the field of _______________ have projects that are based on recovering data about areas that will be impacted by new construction.
A) AD
B) BCE
C) CRM
D) NAGPRA

Accepted Answer

Cultural Resource Management (CRM) archaeologists focus on preserving and documenting archaeological sites that are threatened by construction and development projects.

Question 8

Archaeobotanists explore the past using remains of plant materials. Which of the materials below is not a plant remain?
A) Macrobotanical remains
B) Microfauna
C) Phytoliths
D) Pollen

Accepted Answer

Microfauna refers to small animals, not plant remains. Macrobotanical remains, phytoliths, and pollen are all types of plant remains studied by archaeobotanists.

Question 9

Site taphonomy refers to:
A) classifying archaeological sites based on physical appearance.
B) the natural and cultural processes that affect archaeological sites.
C) a special type of precision instrument with a telescope that can be flipped.
D) the layers or levels at an archaeological site.

Accepted Answer

Site taphonomy involves studying the processes, both natural and cultural, that influence the preservation, alteration, or destruction of archaeological evidence. This includes understanding how artifacts and remains have been affected by environmental factors and human activities over time.

Question 10

_________________ dating techniques provide a sequence of "older" and "younger" rather than calendar dates.
A) Absolute
B) Chronometric
C) Radiometric
D) Relative

Accepted Answer

Relative dating techniques establish a sequence of events, indicating which events occurred earlier or later than others without providing a specific date in years. This contrasts with absolute or chronometric dating methods, which provide calendar dates. Radiometric dating is a type of absolute dating.

Question 11

This relative dating technique relies on recognizing styles of artifacts that have changed in abundance over time.
A) Archaeomagnetism
B) Dendrochronology
C) Potassium-argon dating
D) Seriation

Accepted Answer

Seriation is a relative dating method that orders artifacts based on the assumption that one cultural style slowly replaces an earlier style over time. It's used to arrange chronological sequences by analyzing the changes in the frequency of artifact styles.

Question 12

This dating technique looks at soil layers-like a layer cake-with the oldest layers being at the bottom.
A) Archaeomagnetism
B) Stratigraphy
C) Optically stimulated luminescence dating
D) Thermoluminescence dating

Accepted Answer

Stratigraphy is the archaeological method that examines the sequential layering of deposits, with the principle that deeper layers are older than those above them.

Question 13

Which absolute dating method is the most precise, usually to a specific calendar year? A) ¹⁴C dating B) Carbon dating C) Dendrochronology D) Paleomagnetism

Accepted Answer

Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, is the most precise absolute dating method, often allowing dating to a specific calendar year by analyzing the growth rings of trees.

Question 14

If an event occurred in 2000 BC, it occurred approximately _______________ years ago.
A) 1000
B) 2000
C) 4000
D) 6000

Accepted Answer

Given that the current year is 2023, an event that occurred in 2000 BC would have occurred approximately 2023 + 2000 = 4023 years ago. The closest answer to this calculation is 4000 years, making option C the correct choice.

Question 15

This theoretical viewpoint focuses on the complex interactions between humans, other species, and their environment.
A) Ecological archaeology
B) Human behavioral ecology
C) Processual archaeology
D) Postprocessual archaeology

Accepted Answer

Ecological archaeology examines the complex interactions between humans, other species, and their environment, focusing on how these relationships shape human behavior and cultural development.

Question 16

An approach to archaeology that is heavily reliant on hypothesis testing and the scientific method is _________________________.
A) Ecological archaeology
B) Niche construction theory
C) Processual archaeology
D) Postprocessual archaeology

Accepted Answer

Processual archaeology emphasizes the use of the scientific method and hypothesis testing to understand past societies and their environments. It focuses on how human cultures evolve over time through the processes of adaptation and change.

Question 17

A theoretical approach that focuses on different possible interpretations of evidence and a critique of pure scientific objectivity is ______________________________.
A) Processual archaeology
B) Postprocessual archaeology
C) Scientific method
D) Three Age System

Accepted Answer

Postprocessual archaeology emphasizes the subjective nature of archaeological interpretations and critiques the notion of objective scientific inquiry, focusing on the diverse meanings and interpretations that can be derived from archaeological evidence.

Question 18

___________________ is an approach that focuses on the complex interplay of human agency and the environment.
A) Agency
B) Darwinian
C) Gender
D) Ecodynamics

Accepted Answer

Ecodynamics is the correct answer because it specifically refers to the study of the interactions between human actions (agency) and the environment, emphasizing the complex dynamics between these elements.

Question 19

_______________________ emphasizes the role of Native communities as active participants in archaeological interpretation.
A) Geoarchaeology
B) Human behavioral ecology
C) Indigenous archaeology
D) Paleoanthropology

Accepted Answer

Indigenous archaeology emphasizes the role of Native communities as active participants in archaeological interpretation, focusing on collaboration with and inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and methodologies.

Question 20

The most common method of finding archaeological sites is:
A) processual archaeology.
B) pedestrian survey.
C) written records.
D) submarines.

Accepted Answer

Pedestrian survey, which involves systematically walking over the landscape and looking for artifacts or features visible on the surface, is the most common method for locating archaeological sites. This technique allows archaeologists to cover large areas and identify sites without the need for immediate excavation.

Quiz 1: Acquiring and Interpreting Data in Archaeology

____________________ is the study of animal bones found at archaeological sites.

____________________ is a discipline that focuses on the study of pollen from archaeological sediments to reconstruct earlier environments.

____________________ is the study of human cultural and biological evolution, especially early hominins, by archaeologists and biological anthropologists.

____________________ is a specialty in which researchers study humanity's past, including analyses of cultural materials such as flaked stone artifacts, animal bones, prehistoric art, and personal ornamentations.

Which of the following is a limitation of written records?

One of the basic truths in archaeology is that _________________ is everything.

Archaeologists who work in the field of _______________ have projects that are based on recovering data about areas that will be impacted by new construction.

Archaeobotanists explore the past using remains of plant materials. Which of the materials below is not a plant remain?

Site taphonomy refers to:

_________________ dating techniques provide a sequence of "older" and "younger" rather than calendar dates.

This relative dating technique relies on recognizing styles of artifacts that have changed in abundance over time.

This dating technique looks at soil layers-like a layer cake-with the oldest layers being at the bottom.

Which absolute dating method is the most precise, usually to a specific calendar year?

If an event occurred in 2000 BC, it occurred approximately _______________ years ago.

This theoretical viewpoint focuses on the complex interactions between humans, other species, and their environment.

An approach to archaeology that is heavily reliant on hypothesis testing and the scientific method is _________________________.

A theoretical approach that focuses on different possible interpretations of evidence and a critique of pure scientific objectivity is ______________________________.

___________________ is an approach that focuses on the complex interplay of human agency and the environment.

_______________________ emphasizes the role of Native communities as active participants in archaeological interpretation.

The most common method of finding archaeological sites is: