Question 1

Taphonomy is useful to archaeology because it:

Accepted Answer

Taphonomy helps archaeologists understand how natural processes and human activities have influenced the formation and condition of archaeological sites. By analyzing these effects, archaeologists can better interpret the archaeological record.

Question 2

When discussing projectile points, a "flute" refers to:

Accepted Answer

A "flute" is indeed a distinctive characteristic of Clovis and Folsom projectile points, it is a wide, shallow, longitudinal groove on the face of a projectile point, and it is created by the removal of a channel flake.

Question 3

A thin, sharp sliver of stone removed from a larger piece of rock during the flintknapping process is a:

Accepted Answer

Flakes are the thin, sharp pieces of stone that are removed from a larger piece of rock during the process of flintknapping, which is a technique used to shape stone tools.

Question 4

A geologist observes glacial moraines and striations in an area that is today not glaciated. The geologist interprets those features as evidence of past glacial activity. He or she is utilizing:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A geologist observes glacial moraines and striations...

Question 5

Inferring that prehistoric kivas had the same function as kivas used by Puebloan societies today is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Inferring that prehistoric kivas had the same function as kivas used by Puebloan societies today is an example of both formal and relational analogies because it draws parallels based on both form (structure of the kivas) and relation (their use within the society).

Question 6

Don Crabtree's experimental flintknapping research:

Accepted Answer

Don Crabtree's experimental flintknapping research was significant in discovering successful ways to flute Folsom projectile points, which not only advanced the understanding of this ancient technique but also encouraged further research into more effective fluting methods.

Question 7

The purpose of heat-treating stone tool raw material was to:

Accepted Answer

Heat-treating stone tool raw materials, such as flint, improves their flintknapping properties by making them easier to shape and flake into desired forms. This process can increase the predictability and control over the flaking process, resulting in finer and more precise tools.

Question 8

Taphonomic research at the Hudson-Meng bison bonebed in northwest Nebraska showed that:

Accepted Answer

Taphonomic research indicated that natural processes, such as incomplete burial and exposure to sunlight, could have led to the decomposition of the tops of the bison skulls, rather than human activity.

Question 9

What happened to the remains of Ishi, the Yahi Indian who lived at the University of California's museum in San Francisco and demonstrated traditional arrow-making and fire-starting for museum visitors?

Accepted Answer

All of the statements are correct regarding the treatment of Ishi's remains. After his death, his body was autopsied against his wishes, his brain was sent to the Smithsonian Institution and remained there for nearly 85 years, and his remains were eventually returned to the Pit River tribe in 2000 for burial.

Question 10

Analogies justified on the basis of close cultural continuity between the archaeological and ethnographic cases or similarity in general cultural form are known as:

Accepted Answer

Relational analogies are based on the similarity in the cultural context or function between the archaeological and ethnographic cases, emphasizing a deeper connection beyond mere appearance or form.

Question 11

Which of the following is true of the Hudson-Meng site in northwest Nebraska?

Accepted Answer

CThe Hudson-Meng site's taphonomic research indicates that natural causes rather than human hunting were primarily responsible for the bison deaths, contradicting earlier interpretations of mass hunting. However, the presence of cut marks on bones does suggest some level of human butchery or processing of the dead animals.

Question 12

A sipapu is:

Accepted Answer

A sipapu is indeed all of these things: a small pit in a kiva symbolizing the portal through which the Hopis believe they emerged into the world, and a place for communication with the supernatural.

Question 13

Formal analogies are strengthened if:

Accepted Answer

Formal analogies are more convincing when there is a significant number of ethnographic cases showing the same pattern, and when the archaeological and ethnographic cases share many attributes, as this suggests a stronger likelihood that the observed patterns are relevant and applicable across different contexts.

Question 14

Exploring the possible ways to make a projectile point is an example of , while observing the way a living group of people make projectile points is an example of .

Accepted Answer

Exploring the possible ways to make a projectile point through practical experiments and replication studies is an example of experimental archaeology. Observing the way a living group of people make projectile points to understand past human behavior is an example of ethnoarchaeology.

Question 15

Experimental archaeology provides archaeologists with bridging arguments, ways to make inferences about past behavior from material remains. Which of the following is not an example of experimental archaeology?

Accepted Answer

Experimental archaeology involves practical experiments to understand how people in the past made and used objects. Seriation, a method for dating archaeological sites based on the changing styles of artifacts like pottery, does not involve such practical experiments. It is a typological or statistical analysis method, not an experimental approach.

Question 16

Analogies justified by similarities in the formal attributes of archaeological and ethnographic objects and features are known as:

Accepted Answer

Formal analogies are based on the observable physical characteristics or formal attributes of objects, without necessarily considering their cultural or functional context.

Question 17

The goal of middle level theory is to:

Accepted Answer

Middle level theory is aimed at creating a bridge between the data archaeologists observe and the interpretations they make, facilitating the development of secure inferences from archaeological remains to understand past human behavior.

Question 18

In geology, the principle of uniformitarianism asserts that:

Accepted Answer

The principle of uniformitarianism, often summarized as "the present is the key to the past," posits that the natural processes we observe shaping the Earth today have worked in the same way throughout geological time.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of reasoning through uniformitarian principles, rather then simple analogy?

Accepted Answer

Choice C is an example of reasoning through uniformitarian principles because it applies a general principle (a group size that optimizes hunting efficiency) across different times and environments, rather than making a direct analogy based on specific ethnographic data or similar environmental conditions.

Question 20

Studying how a large animal carcass decomposes on an African savannah to determine how long it takes the carcass to disarticulate in different seasons and which bones are carried away by carnivores is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Taphonomy is the study of how organisms decay and become fossilized or preserved in the archaeological record. The scenario described involves studying the process of decomposition and the factors affecting it, which falls under the domain of taphonomy.

Quiz 8: Taphonomy Experimental Archaeology And Ethnoarchaeology