Question 1

Define the difference between relative and absolute measures of age. Give examples of each.

Accepted Answer

Relative measures of age refer to an individual's age in relation to others, such as being the youngest or oldest in a group. Absolute measures of age, on the other hand, refer to an individual's age in specific units, such as years, months, or days.

An example of a relative measure of age would be being the youngest sibling in a family, or the oldest student in a classroom. These measures are based on comparison to others in a specific group.

An example of an absolute measure of age would be someone being 25 years old, or a child being 8 months old. These measures are based on specific units of time and are not dependent on comparison to others.

In summary, relative measures of age are based on comparison to others, while absolute measures of age are based on specific units of time.

Question 2

The principle of superposition is a key component of what relative dating technique?

Accepted Answer

A)  biostratigraphy 
B)  cross-dating 
C)  seriation 
D)  paleomagnetism 
E)  stratigraphy 
A)  biostratigraphy 
B)  cross-dating 
C)  seriation 
D)  paleomagnetism 
E)  stratigraphy E

Question 3

Artifacts are typically defined as:

Accepted Answer

A)  any non-portable evidence of human activity 
B)  any evidence that was made or modified by people in the past 
C)  any evidence of past environment 
D)  only stone tools, like arrowheads 
E)  any place with evidence of human activity 
A)  any non-portable evidence of human activity 
B)  any evidence that was made or modified by people in the past 
C)  any evidence of past environment 
D)  only stone tools, like arrowheads 
E)  any place with evidence of human activity A

Question 4

What is a hominin?

Accepted Answer

A hominin refers to any of the species t

Question 5

List and define the goals of archaeology.

Accepted Answer

Archaeology has several goals, including

Question 6

Why are stone tools important for reconstructing the human past?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are the aspect of culture most often preserved. 
B)  They represent the most important part of culture. 
C)  They define the home range. 
D)  Tool use is a unique to hominins. 
E)  They are always manufactured. 
A)  They are the aspect of culture most often preserved. 
B)  They represent the most important part of culture. 
C)  They define the home range. 
D)  Tool use is a unique to hominins. 
E)  They are always manufactured.

Question 7

Which of the following terms best defines an ecofact?

Accepted Answer

A)  any non-portable evidence of human behavior 
B)  any portable evidence of human behavior 
C)  any location with evidence of human occupation 
D)  any evidence of past environments 
E)  the ecological niche of a hominin species 
A)  any non-portable evidence of human behavior 
B)  any portable evidence of human behavior 
C)  any location with evidence of human occupation 
D)  any evidence of past environments 
E)  the ecological niche of a hominin species

Question 8

What is paleoanthropology?

Accepted Answer

Paleoanthropology is a scientific discip

Question 9

Which of the following would NOT be helpful in reconstruction the local paleoecological setting in which early hominins lived?

Accepted Answer

A)  animal bones washed into a stream bed 
B)  a piece of pottery found within a storage pit 
C)  an assortment of sharp stone tools next to a butchered carcass 
D)  wood charcoal found within a hearth 
E)  anatomical relationships between humans and contemporary nonhuman primates 
A)  animal bones washed into a stream bed 
B)  a piece of pottery found within a storage pit 
C)  an assortment of sharp stone tools next to a butchered carcass 
D)  wood charcoal found within a hearth 
E)  anatomical relationships between humans and contemporary nonhuman primates

Question 10

What is the value of artifacts in archaeological research?

Accepted Answer

Artifacts are invaluable in archaeologic

Question 11

The archaeological record is typically contained within locations of past human activity, called

Accepted Answer

A)  features 
B)  sites 
C)  primary context 
D)  regions 
E)  ecofacts 
A)  features 
B)  sites 
C)  primary context 
D)  regions 
E)  ecofacts

Question 12

The home-based forager model of hominin behavior proposed that Olduvai Gorge reflected what behavior?

Accepted Answer

A)  use as a central hunting location 
B)  use as a prominent location for the manufacture of Oldowan tools 
C)  the natural accumulation of animal bones 
D)  use as a multi-purpose campsite 
E)  use of weapons 
A)  use as a central hunting location 
B)  use as a prominent location for the manufacture of Oldowan tools 
C)  the natural accumulation of animal bones 
D)  use as a multi-purpose campsite 
E)  use of weapons

Question 13

What is ethnoarchaeology and its value to the overall understanding of the archaeological record?

Accepted Answer

Ethnoarchaeology is the study of living

Question 14

Tool use is not a characteristic unique to hominins.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The non-intrusive method of discovering archaeological sites is known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  excavation 
B)  reclamation 
C)  site survey 
D)  field work 
E)  taphonomy 
A)  excavation 
B)  reclamation 
C)  site survey 
D)  field work 
E)  taphonomy

Question 16

Which of the following dating techniques relies on the regular growth of tree rings?

Accepted Answer

A)  Radiocarbon 
B)  K-Ar 
C)  Dendrochronology 
D)  Paleomagnetism 
E)  Seriation 
A)  Radiocarbon 
B)  K-Ar 
C)  Dendrochronology 
D)  Paleomagnetism 
E)  Seriation

Question 17

The earliest artifact sites are from the Gona and Bouri areas, dating to

Accepted Answer

A)  7 mya 
B)  2.6 mya 
C)  500,000 years ago 
D)  1.5 mya 
E)  5 mya 
A)  7 mya 
B)  2.6 mya 
C)  500,000 years ago 
D)  1.5 mya 
E)  5 mya

Question 18

The Lower Paleolithic is a term used to describe the culture of the earliest hominins.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Describe the process of archaeological research, the types of information that comprise the archaeological record, and the techniques available for reconstructing the past.

Accepted Answer

Archaeological research is a systematic

Question 20

All aspects of the past cultures, even the most distant, can be easily reconstructed through archaeological research.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Define the difference between relative and absolute measures of age. Give examples of each.

The principle of superposition is a key component of what relative dating technique?

Artifacts are typically defined as:

What is a hominin?

List and define the goals of archaeology.

Why are stone tools important for reconstructing the human past?

Which of the following terms best defines an ecofact?

What is paleoanthropology?

Which of the following would NOT be helpful in reconstruction the local paleoecological setting in which early hominins lived?

What is the value of artifacts in archaeological research?

The archaeological record is typically contained within locations of past human activity, called

The home-based forager model of hominin behavior proposed that Olduvai Gorge reflected what behavior?

What is ethnoarchaeology and its value to the overall understanding of the archaeological record?

Tool use is not a characteristic unique to hominins.

The non-intrusive method of discovering archaeological sites is known as:

Which of the following dating techniques relies on the regular growth of tree rings?

The earliest artifact sites are from the Gona and Bouri areas, dating to

The Lower Paleolithic is a term used to describe the culture of the earliest hominins.

Describe the process of archaeological research, the types of information that comprise the archaeological record, and the techniques available for reconstructing the past.

All aspects of the past cultures, even the most distant, can be easily reconstructed through archaeological research.

Introduction to Anthropology

Heredity and Evolution

The Development of Evolutionary Theory

Modern Human Variation and Adaptation

Macroevolution: Processes of Vertebrate and Mammalian Evolution

An Overview of the Primates

Primate Behavior

Hominin Origins

The First Dispersal of the Genus Homo: Homo Erectus and Contemporaries

Premodern Humans

The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans

Early Holocene Hunters and Gatherers

Food Production

The First Civilizations

Conclusion

Filters

Exam 8: Understanding the Past: Archaeological and Paleoanthropological Methods

Define the difference between relative and absolute measures of age. Give examples of each.

The principle of superposition is a key component of what relative dating technique?

Artifacts are typically defined as:

What is a hominin?

List and define the goals of archaeology.

Why are stone tools important for reconstructing the human past?

Which of the following terms best defines an ecofact?

What is paleoanthropology?

Which of the following would NOT be helpful in reconstruction the local paleoecological setting in which early hominins lived?

What is the value of artifacts in archaeological research?

The archaeological record is typically contained within locations of past human activity, called

The home-based forager model of hominin behavior proposed that Olduvai Gorge reflected what behavior?

What is ethnoarchaeology and its value to the overall understanding of the archaeological record?

Tool use is not a characteristic unique to hominins.

The non-intrusive method of discovering archaeological sites is known as:

Which of the following dating techniques relies on the regular growth of tree rings?

The earliest artifact sites are from the Gona and Bouri areas, dating to

The Lower Paleolithic is a term used to describe the culture of the earliest hominins.

Describe the process of archaeological research, the types of information that comprise the archaeological record, and the techniques available for reconstructing the past.

All aspects of the past cultures, even the most distant, can be easily reconstructed through archaeological research.

Introduction to Anthropology

Heredity and Evolution

The Development of Evolutionary Theory

Modern Human Variation and Adaptation

Macroevolution: Processes of Vertebrate and Mammalian Evolution

An Overview of the Primates

Primate Behavior

Hominin Origins

The First Dispersal of the Genus Homo: Homo Erectus and Contemporaries

Premodern Humans

The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans

Early Holocene Hunters and Gatherers

Food Production

The First Civilizations

Conclusion

Filters