Exam 5: Space and Time

For every 100 40K atoms that decay, what percentage becomes 40Ar (Argon), an inactive gas that can easily escape from its present material by diffusion when lava and other molten rocks are formed?

Which measures radiation-induced defects or the density of trapped electrons within a bone or shell sample without the need to heat them?

The prehistory of the world from some 40,000 years ago up to historic times is dated almost entirely by which method?

When examining the concept of space, archaeologists apply certain directions of inquiry EXCEPT for

The date of any mineral containing uranium can be obtained by measuring the amount of uranium in the sample, which is done by counting the fission tracks in the material-narrow trails of damage in the sample caused by fragmentation of massive energy-charged particles. This is known as what kind of dating?

Along with coins, what can be used to date buildings or refuse pits in which they were dropped centuries ago?

Which series dating is most effective when it is applied to sites between 50,000 and 1 million years old?

The half-life of C-14 (radiocarbon) is measured at how many years?

Which is a precisely defined location for every find made during an archaeological survey and excavation, and it is part of context?

Uranium series dating measures the steady decay of uranium into various daughter elements inside any formation made up of

The idea that underlying geological levels are earlier than those that cover them is known as the law of

Define the concept of space as used in archaeology. How do archaeologists describe their finds?

Archaeologists use seriation techniques to place artifacts in chronological order. If the frequencies with which these artifacts occur are plotted as a set of bars, they often appear in a shape known as the

Which law is of great importance when artifacts are being ordered in chronological sequences?

Compare and contrast linear time with cyclical time. Define each with examples.

What comprises optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) and thermoluminescence (TL), measures the light emitted from baked clays, heated or burnt stone, and windblown sediments like sand?

Describe the law of superposition and how it relates to the concept of relative chronology. Give an example of relative chronology used in archaeology.

Describe the application of C-14 dating to archaeology. How does it work, and how is it used?

Tree-ring dating has been practiced on long-felled wood beams to date the Indian pueblo buildings of which they were a part. This method is called

Differentiate between the concepts of assemblage and subassemblage, using examples for each.