Deck 3: Doing Anthropology

Question 1

__________ is not an example of the multidisciplinary approaches used in physical anthropology and archaeology.

A)Remote sensing
B)Metaphysics
C)Bioarchaeology
D)Paleontology
E)Palynology

Answer 1

Metaphysics

Question 2

In survey research, a sample should

A)include the entire population in question.
B)include anyone who will agree to talk with the researcher.
C)not be randomly selected.
D)be constituted so that valid inferences about the larger population can be made.
E)be invariant.

Answer 2

be constituted so that valid inferences about the larger population can be made.

Question 3

The principle of superposition dictates that

A)in a systematic survey, the location of a site is most likely near a river.
B)in an undisturbed sequence of strata, the youngest layer is on the bottom.
C)in an undisturbed sequence of strata, the oldest layer is on the bottom.
D)a fossil that is superimposed over a rock that is being dated by an absolute method is the same age as the rock.
E)certain radioactive isotopes decay at predictable rates that allow archaeological sites to be dated based on the amount of the isotope present.

Answer 3

in an undisturbed sequence of strata, the oldest layer is on the bottom.

Question 4

Archaeologists who use written records to supplement or guide their fieldwork are

A)cognitive archaeologists.
B)historical archaeologists.
C)experimental archaeologists.
D)underwater archaeologists.
E)literary archaeologists.

Question 5

Paleopathology it the study of

A)the biological and geological processes by which dead animals become fossils.
B)ancient environments using samples of ancient pollen.
C)hominid evolution and human life as revealed by the fossil record.
D)disease and injury in skeletons from archaeological sites.
E)the evolution of linguistic communication through ancient speech sounds and texts.

Question 6

__________ is not a characteristic field technique used by ethnographers.

A)The genealogical method
B)Participant observation
C)Conversation
D)Online surveys
E)Interview schedules

Question 7

Anthropological archaeologists use relative dating to

A)determine precise dates in numbers.
B)overlay various maps of a site, producing a composite map.
C)superimpose motifs from one site onto designs found at another site.
D)locate sites during a systematic survey.
E)create a relative chronology for the materials uncovered during excavation.

Question 8

In survey research, sampling is

A)the collection of a representative subset of a larger population.
B)the interviewing of a small number of key cultural consultants.
C)participant observation.
D)the collection of life-histories of every member in a community.
E)the recording of the emic perspective.

Question 9

Anthropometry is the

A)measurement of human body parts and dimensions.
B)measurement of human linguistic variability.
C)use of remote sensing to measure the carrying capacity of human populations in a given region.
D)study of ancient plants used by humans through pollen samples collected from archaeological sites.
E)study of the ways in which cultural sediments accumulate over time.

Question 10

Molecular anthropologists study

A)the relationships among ancient and contemporary populations and among species.
B)human body size and dimensions.
C)the biological and geological processes by which dead animals become fossils.
D)diffusion of languages between communities.
E)how prestige passes between generations.

Question 11

Paleoanthropology is the study of

A)the biological and geological processes by which dead animals become fossils.
B)ancient environments using samples of ancient pollen.
C)hominid evolution and human life as revealed by the fossil record.
D)disease and injury in skeletons from archaeological sites.
E)the evolution of linguistic communication through ancient speech sounds and texts.

Question 12

An expert on a particular aspect of local life is a(n)

A)representative sample.
B)etic informant.
C)key cultural consultant.
D)biased informant.
E)life historian.

Question 13

The __________ technique was developed specifically because kinship and marriage relationships are so important in nonindustrial societies.

A)life history
B)participant observation
C)genealogical method
D)interview schedule
E)network analysis

Question 14

Survey research differs from ethnography in that survey research

A)studies whole functioning communities.
B)is based on firsthand fieldwork.
C)is more personal.
D)focuses on a subset of a larger population.
E)traditionally is used to study small-scale, nonindustrial societies.

Question 15

___________ is not an absolute dating technique.

A)Carbon-14
B)Stratigraphy
C)Potassium-argon
D)Thermoluminescence
E)Uranium series

Question 16

__________ refers to the study of the processes that affect the remains of dead animals.

A)Necrology
B)Autopsy
C)Degradation
D)Osteology
E)Taphonomy

Question 17

__________ are the major components of fieldwork in archaeological anthropology.

A)The genealogical method and excavation
B)Excavation and participant observation
C)Systematic survey and excavation
D)Systematic survey and the emic perspective
E)Stratigraphy and taphonomy

Question 18

Stratigraphy is useful for purposes of dating because

A)all environmental forces leave behind the same kind of soil deposit.
B)the depth and order of undisturbed soil strata reflect the age of their deposition.
C)higher strata are usually older than lower strata in undisturbed soil.
D)soil strata are uncluttered by bones, stones, and artifacts.
E)once in the soil, there are very few things that can damage or disturb bones.

Question 19

The strategy of using __________ is unique to anthropology.

A)comparison
B)a biological perspective
C)ethnography
D)an evolutionary perspective
E)skilled respondents

Question 20

The American Anthropological Association's Code of Ethics is

A)designed to ensure that all anthropologists are aware of their obligations to the field of anthropology, the host communities, and to society in general.
B)designed to protect anthropologists who conduct fieldwork in remote places.
C)applicable only to research in the United States.
D)disregarded by most researchers.
E)of little use to most anthropologists.

Question 21

List the ethical obligations of anthropologists working in foreign countries.

Question 22

Explain how researchers date artifacts and fossils.Discuss the limitations of each dating technique.

Question 23

Define the genealogical method, and show why it is important for anthropologists to gather genealogical data.

Question 24

Define the different kinds of archaeology.

Question 25

____________ refers to the study of an area or population over time.

A)Team research
B)Etic research
C)Longitudinal research
D)Survey research
E)Genealogical method

Question 26

Explain participant observation, and contrast it with other research techniques.

Question 27

Identify the two ways in which archaeologists collect information in the field.Discuss the kinds of data each technique collects and describe the limitations of each technique.

Question 28

The AAA disapproves of the Human Terrain System because

A)the program aimed at using land more effectively for farming does not consider the needs of the local populations.
B)it forces archaeologists to excavate areas that are not in danger of destruction and have no impact on current research questions.
C)the AAA would like research to remain focused on American subcultures.
D)the AAA believes the military should make decisions about which research projects should be funded.
E)it places anthropologists in positions that would violate the AAA code of ethics.
Essay Questions

Question 29

When researchers began the study of the Tsimane, they decided they would

A)send no doctors into the population.
B)set up a pharmacy for the villagers.
C)send doctors into the population but not provide basic medical care.
D)send doctors into the population for research and to provide basic medical care.
E)build a hospital for them.

Question 30

Identify differences between questionnaires and interview schedules, and discuss why an ethnographer may choose to use an interview schedule instead of a questionnaire.

Question 31

An interview schedule's advantage over a questionnaire-based survey is that

A)interview schedules allow informants to talk about whatever they feel is important.
B)interview schedules rely on very short responses and therefore are more useful when there is less time to conduct research.
C)questionnaires are completely unstructured, so informants might deviate from the subject of interest.
D)interview schedules are better suited to complex, urban societies.
E)questionnaires are emic, while interview schedules are etic.

Question 32

Describe the ways physical anthropology and archaeology are multidisciplinary, and tell why this is important.

Question 33

Taking part in the events one is witnessing and describing those events is

A)longitudinal research.
B)emic research.
C)etic research.
D)informed consent.
E)participant observation.

Question 34

Palynology is the study of ancient animals through fossil remains.

Question 35

Physical anthropology and archaeology both involve multidisciplinary approaches to research.

Question 36

In survey research, ____________ refers to the attributes that differ among members of a population.

A)unknowns
B)questionnaires
C)interviews
D)variables
E)random samples

Question 37

The Tsimane live in Bolivia and speak

A)Spanish.
B)their native language.
C)Portugese.
D)English.
E)Creole.

Question 38

Identify the difference between emic and etic perspectives, and discus why an anthropologist should use both strategies when conducting ethnographic fieldwork.

Question 39

Define different kinds of research that fall under physical anthropology.Discuss how these various topics relate to each other.

Question 40

___________ have traditionally studied small, non-Western populations

A)Ethnographers
B)Sociologists
C)Economists
D)Palynologists
E)Limnologists

Question 41

Anthropologists need to get permission from the community they are studying only when they intend to take photographs or make recordings.

Question 42

The emic perspective focuses on how local people think.

Question 43

Ethnology is the holistic study of a single community.

Question 44

Paleopathology is the study of disease and injury in skeletons.

Question 45

Anthropometry is the study of human culture using satellite imagery.

Question 46

Taphonomy is the science that examines the ways in which sediments accumulate in layers.

Question 47

Historical archaeologists use written records to supplement the archaeological record.

Question 48

Good key cultural consultants generally end up recording most of the data needed to write an ethnography.

Question 49

Molecular anthropology studies evolutionary links using genetic analysis.

Question 50

Compared to questionnaires, interview schedules tend to be more indirect and impersonal.

Question 51

Classical archaeologists investigate archaeological sites that are threatened by development.

Question 52

Traditionally, sociologists worked in large, industrial Western nations, while anthropologists focused on smaller, nonindustrial societies.

Question 53

Primatology is the study of primates in both zoos and natural settings.

Question 54

The Tsimane of Bolivia are the most studied indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere.

Question 55

The Human Terrain System is a GIS-based program to map the location of all living communities on Earth.

Question 56

Absolute dating uses stratigraphy to establish a time frame in relation to other strata.

Question 57

Systematic survey and excavation are basically redundant methods that generate the same kinds of data.

Question 58

Longitudinal ethnographic research is the long-term study of a particular culture or society, frequently based on repeated visits.

Question 59

Experimental archaeologists try to replicate ancient techniques under controlled conditions.

Question 60

There are so many anthropologists in the United States, and the distinction between emic and etic perspectives does not apply to American culture.