Probing the Past

Quiz Content

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. Which of the following refers to a combination of artifacts and/or ecofacts at a site, reflecting a location where some human activity took place?

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. Artifacts are _________, while ecofacts are __________.

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. The study of how materials became part of the paleontological or archaeological record is known as

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. A _________ contains primary refuse; a _________ contains secondary refuse.

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. _________ is a method of 14C dating that allows much smaller samples to be dated. The results can provide a very accurate _________.

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. Which of the following can date volcanic deposits that are millions of years old?

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. Which of the following progressively disappear with age and can be used to provide a general estimate for age at death?

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. A more accurate calibration curve and conversion for radiocarbon dating can be derived from:

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. What is the difference between an absolute date and a relative date?

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. Which of the following are dating techniques based on the half-life of a radioactive isotope and are used to date the age of rock?

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. The archaeological ethics of conducting research on sites with human remains requires archaeologists to:

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. Which of the following dating techniques are based on the measurement of the amount of energy trapped in materials that have been heated at archaeological sites?

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. In some cases, the residue of blood on ancient stone tools can:

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. Archaeology differs from pseudoscientific speculation because:

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. Which of the following indicates a context of primary refuse?

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. Which of the following is a remote-sensing device used at archaeological sites?

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. Which method is best for identifying large-scale landscape modifications?

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. Trace element analysis can be used to determine:

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. _________ is a method of dating based on the measurement of the amount of energy archaeological materials, such as pottery, have captured over time.

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. _________ is dating method based on the decay of radioactive potassium into ______.

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. Which of the following is an absolute dating technique?

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. Palynology is the study of _________, which allows scientists to reconstruct ______.

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. Artifacts must be carefully exposed and initially left in place in order to record:

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. Which of the following indicates an individual was young when they died?

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. By analyzing the levels of 13C in bones, researchers can establish whether an individual ate:

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. Which of the following can be used to distinguish male from female animals?

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. __________ are fossilized feces, which can be useful in the reconstruction of _________.

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. Which of the following refers to inorganic silica bodies produced by plants that allow archaeologists to identify the associated plants?

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. Which of the following refers to fossil shells of ancient marine microorganisms that allow scientists to determine changes in climate from oxygen isotope ratios?

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. Archaeologists may systematically discover archaeological sites through a procedure known as:

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. Which of the following techniques has been most useful for studying early human ancestors, by providing an absolute date for rock?

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. Pompeii was unusually well preserved because

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. Which of the following techniques involve trace element analysis?

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. The subsistence practices of people can be determined by recovering and studying:

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. ________________ is a technique for identifying the chemical makeup of a raw material:

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. The process of attempting to authentically re-create ancient artifacts is known as:

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. _________ is an extremely accurate dating technique based on variable tree-ring growth. By overlapping the ring patterns of living trees with dead trees, a ________ can be developed.

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. Which of the following techniques involve remote sensing?

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. A __________is a scientific worldview or conceptual framework, while a ________ is a possible explanation for what scientists have observed.

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. Which of the following techniques, when applied alone, can only provide archaeologists and paleoanthropologists with a relative date?

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