Question 1

How does radiocarbon dating work? What are the advantages and limitations of this technique?

Accepted Answer

Radiocarbon dating works by measuring the amount of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon, in an organic sample. Carbon-14 is constantly being created in the atmosphere through the interaction of cosmic rays with nitrogen, and it is absorbed by living organisms through the food chain. When an organism dies, it stops absorbing carbon-14, and the amount of carbon-14 in its remains decreases over time through radioactive decay. By measuring the remaining amount of carbon-14 in a sample, scientists can determine its age.

The advantages of radiocarbon dating include its ability to provide relatively accurate dates for organic materials up to around 50,000 years old. This makes it a valuable tool for archaeologists, anthropologists, and other researchers studying ancient civilizations and prehistoric environments. Additionally, radiocarbon dating is non-destructive, meaning it does not require the destruction of the sample being tested.

However, there are limitations to the technique. One limitation is that it can only be used to date organic materials, so it is not useful for dating rocks or other inorganic materials. Additionally, radiocarbon dating becomes less accurate for samples older than 50,000 years, as the amount of carbon-14 remaining becomes too small to measure accurately. Contamination from modern sources of carbon can also affect the accuracy of radiocarbon dates, so careful sample preparation and analysis are necessary to ensure reliable results. Despite these limitations, radiocarbon dating remains a valuable tool for understanding the past.

Question 2

________ comparisons examine differences between two or more sites.
A) Synchronic
B) Intersite
C) Diachronic
D) Intrasite

Accepted Answer

Intersite comparisons specifically compare differences between two or more archaeological sites. Synchronic refers to a comparison at a single point in time, diachronic refers to a comparison across time, and intrasite refers to a comparison within a single archaeological site.

Question 3

Which of the following statements characterizes relative dating techniques?
A) They allow archaeologists to assign a range of calendar years to artifacts and deposits.
B) They can be expressed on a number of different time scales.
C) They include dendrochronology.
D) They include seriation.

Accepted Answer

Relative dating techniques do not assign calendar years to artifacts and deposits, but rather determine their age in relation to other artifacts and deposits. They can be expressed on different time scales and include dendrochronology, but the most common examples are stratigraphy and seriation, which help establish the relative sequence of events or the relative chronology of cultural phases.

Question 4

Which of the following is an absolute dating method?
A) relative chronology
B) seriation
C) radiocarbon
D) regional chronology

Accepted Answer

Radiocarbon dating is an absolute dating method that uses the decay rate of carbon-14 isotopes in organic materials to determine the age of the artifact or sample being analyzed. Relative chronology and seriation are both relative dating methods that rely on comparing the stratigraphic or stylistic similarities and differences between artifacts and contexts. Regional chronology refers to the chronological framework established for a specific region or area, but does not provide an exact date for any given artifact or event.

Question 5

What is a list of artifact types for a particular archaeological context called?
A) typology
B) chronology
C) taphonomy
D) attribute

Accepted Answer

A list of artifact types for a particular archaeological context is called typology.

Question 6

In zooarchaeology, MNI estimates are calculated by __________.
A) counting the most numerous unique skeletal element of each species
B) counting the number of identifiable specimens
C) estimating the number of bones per excavation unit
D) taking the total number of bones and dividing by the number of different species

Accepted Answer

MNI, or Minimum Number of Individuals, estimates in zooarchaeology are calculated by counting the most numerous unique skeletal element of each species. This method helps to estimate the minimum number of individuals necessary to account for all observed skeletal elements.

Question 7

Which of the following is a method of quantifying animal bone from an archaeological site?
A) counting the number of identifiable specimens (NISP)
B) calculating the maximum number of species present (MNS)
C) determining the season of occupation based on geographic index of seasonality (GIS)
D) estimating the age at death for each animal body recovered (AD)

Accepted Answer

Counting the number of identifiable specimens (NISP) is a common method of quantifying animal bone from an archaeological site. This involves counting the number of individual bones or bone fragments that can be identified to a specific species. It provides a rough estimate of the minimum number of animals present at the site. The other choices do not involve quantifying bone as directly. Calculating maximum number of species present (MNS) is a way to estimate the ecological diversity of the site, determining the season of occupation based on the geographic index of seasonality (GIS) involves analyzing environmental data rather than bone, and estimating age at death (AD) is a method of analyzing bone to understand the life history of an individual animal.

Question 8

Lithic analysis is the study of __________.
A) lithium artifacts
B) stone tools
C) ceramic dishes
D) metal weapons

Accepted Answer

Lithic analysis is the study of stone tools, including their technology, manufacture, use, and distribution. It examines the microscopic and macroscopic characteristics of lithic artifacts to understand human behavior, culture, and technology in the past.

Question 9

________ are natural objects that provide information about the environmental context of past human activity.
A) Artifacts
B) Ecofacts
C) Features
D) Fossils

Accepted Answer

Ecofacts are natural objects (such as pollen, animal bones, and plants) that provide information about the environmental context of past human activity. Artifacts are manufactured objects, features are man-made modifications to the landscape, and fossils are the preserved remains of ancient organisms.

Question 10

What are some methods that archaeologists employ in a stratigraphic analysis?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some methods that archaeologists employ...

Question 11

Discuss the application of ethnoarchaeology to archaeological interpretation. What areas of past human behavior can it help the archaeologist understand? What are the limitations of ethnoarchaeology?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

A human body is buried in a peat bog one thousand years ago. Discuss the taphonomic processes that might have occurred and how they might affect the interpretation of the burial.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A human body is buried in a...

Question 13

You have discovered a 1,000-year-old site that was occupied for only a year before being covered by a mudslide. What techniques will you employ to excavate the site? How will you record the data you collect?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You have discovered a 1,000-year-old site that...

Question 14

What are the eight principles of archaeological ethics set out by the Society for American Archaeology? What is their purpose?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the eight principles of archaeological...

Question 15

Describe two ʺliving archaeologyʺ techniques used by archaeologists to help interpret archaeological remains.

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

How are typologies used in archaeology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How are typologies used in archaeology?...

Question 17

How can an archaeologist get an accurate quantitative picture of the relative frequency of different animals in the faunal assemblage?

Accepted Answer

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Question 18

What is the goal of archaeological recording and what are some of the recording methods employed by archaeologists?

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

Any object that shows traces of human manufacture is referred to as a/n __________.
A) ecofact
B) artifact
C) site
D) feature

Accepted Answer

An artifact is any object that was deliberately made or modified by humans. Ecofact refers to natural remains found at an archaeological site, while a site refers to the location where archaeologists excavate. A feature is a non-portable element of an archaeological site, such as a hearth or post hole.

Question 20

To recover the charred botanical remains (wood and seeds), it is often necessary to employ a method known as __________.
A) filtration
B) flotation
C) dry screening
D) piece plotting

Accepted Answer

Flotation is the method used to recover charred botanical remains (wood and seeds) in archaeology. This method involves placing the excavated soil in water, which allows the charred plant remains to float to the surface, where they can be collected and analyzed.

Quiz 1: Getting Started in Archaeology

How does radiocarbon dating work? What are the advantages and limitations of this technique?

________ comparisons examine differences between two or more sites.

Which of the following statements characterizes relative dating techniques?

Which of the following is an absolute dating method?

What is a list of artifact types for a particular archaeological context called?

In zooarchaeology, MNI estimates are calculated by __________.

Which of the following is a method of quantifying animal bone from an archaeological site?

Lithic analysis is the study of __________.

________ are natural objects that provide information about the environmental context of past human activity.