1
Test Bank for Archaeology and Humanity's
Story: A Brief Introduction to World
Prehistory 2e Olszewski
Chapter 1 Test Bank—Acquiring and Interpreting Data in Archaeology
Multiple-Choice Questions (30)
1. ____________________ is the study of animal bones found at archaeological sites.
A) Geoarchaeology
B) Human osteology
C) Vertebrate anatomy
D) Zooarchaeology*
2. ____________________ is a discipline that focuses on the study of pollen from
archaeological sediments to reconstruct earlier environments.
A) Ethnoarchaeology
B) Paleoanthropology
C) Palynology*
D) Remote sensing
3. ____________________ is the study of human cultural and biological evolution, especially
early hominins, by archaeologists and biological anthropologists.
A) Archaeology
B) Ethnobotany
C) Paleoanthropology*
D) Zooarchaeology
4. ____________________ is a specialty in which researchers study humanity’s past, including
analyses of cultural materials such as flaked stone artifacts, animal bones, prehistoric art, and
personal ornamentations.
A) Archaeology*
B) Biological anthropology
C) Cultural anthropology
D) Linguistic anthropology
, 2
5. Which of the following is a limitation of written records?
A) They may be biased.
B) They are a relatively recent development in the human past.
C) They rarely record the activities of everyday people.
D) All of the above.*
6. One of the basic truths in archaeology is that _________________ is everything.
A) context*
B) excavation
C) pedestrian survey
D) technology
7. Archaeologists who work in the field of _______________ have projects that are based on
recovering data about areas that will be impacted by new construction.
A) AD
B) BCE
C) CRM*
D) NAGPRA
8. Archaeobotanists explore the past using remains of plant materials. Which of the materials
below is not a plant remain?
A) Macrobotanical remains
B) Microfauna*
C) Phytoliths
D) Pollen
9. Site taphonomy refers to:
A) classifying archaeological sites based on physical appearance.
B) the natural and cultural processes that affect archaeological sites.*
C) a special type of precision instrument with a telescope that can be flipped.
D) the layers or levels at an archaeological site.
10. _________________ dating techniques provide a sequence of “older” and “younger” rather
than calendar dates.
A) Absolute
B) Chronometric
C) Radiometric
D) Relative*
11. This relative dating technique relies on recognizing styles of artifacts that have changed in
abundance over time.
A) Archaeomagnetism
B) Dendrochronology
C) Potassium-argon dating
, 3
D) Seriation*
12. This dating technique looks at soil layers—like a layer cake—with the oldest layers being at
the bottom.
A) Archaeomagnetism
B) Stratigraphy*
C) Optically stimulated luminescence dating
D) Thermoluminescence dating
13. Which absolute dating method is the most precise, usually to a specific calendar year?
A) 14C dating
B) Carbon dating
C) Dendrochronology*
D) Paleomagnetism
14. If an event occurred in 2000 BC, it occurred approximately _______________ years ago.
A) 1000
B) 2000
C) 4000*
D) 6000
15. This theoretical viewpoint focuses on the complex interactions between humans, other
species, and their environment.
A) Ecological archaeology*
B) Human behavioral ecology
C) Processual archaeology
D) Postprocessual archaeology
16. An approach to archaeology that is heavily reliant on hypothesis testing and the scientific
method is _________________________.
A) Ecological archaeology
B) Niche construction theory
C) Processual archaeology*
D) Postprocessual archaeology
17. A theoretical approach that focuses on different possible interpretations of evidence and a
critique of pure scientific objectivity is ______________________________.
A) Processual archaeology
B) Postprocessual archaeology*
C) Scientific method
D) Three Age System
18. ___________________ is an approach that focuses on the complex interplay of human
agency and the environment.
, 4
A) Agency
B) Darwinian
C) Gender
D) Ecodynamics*
19. _______________________ emphasizes the role of Native communities as active
participants in archaeological interpretation.
A) Geoarchaeology
B) Human behavioral ecology
C) Indigenous archaeology*
D) Paleoanthropology
20. The most common method of finding archaeological sites is:
A) processual archaeology.
B) pedestrian survey.*
C) written records.
D) submarines.
21. How do archaeologists make use of LiDAR technology?
A) LiDAR can quickly excavate through rocky soils.
B) LiDAR can accurately date archaeological materials.
C) LiDAR can extract DNA samples from human bone.
D) LiDAR can “see through” dense vegetation.*
22. When mapping a site, archaeologists establish a _____________________, or reference
point on the ground with known spatial coordinates.
A) datum*
B) total station
C) transit
D) UTM
23. Which of these materials could potentially be dated using 14C dating?
A) Charcoal
B) Stone tool fragment
C) Human bone
D) A and C*
24. Which of these dating methods extends the farthest into the past?
A) Dendrochronology
B) 14C dating
C) Potassium-argon dating*
D) Written records
Test Bank for Archaeology and Humanity's
Story: A Brief Introduction to World
Prehistory 2e Olszewski
Chapter 1 Test Bank—Acquiring and Interpreting Data in Archaeology
Multiple-Choice Questions (30)
1. ____________________ is the study of animal bones found at archaeological sites.
A) Geoarchaeology
B) Human osteology
C) Vertebrate anatomy
D) Zooarchaeology*
2. ____________________ is a discipline that focuses on the study of pollen from
archaeological sediments to reconstruct earlier environments.
A) Ethnoarchaeology
B) Paleoanthropology
C) Palynology*
D) Remote sensing
3. ____________________ is the study of human cultural and biological evolution, especially
early hominins, by archaeologists and biological anthropologists.
A) Archaeology
B) Ethnobotany
C) Paleoanthropology*
D) Zooarchaeology
4. ____________________ is a specialty in which researchers study humanity’s past, including
analyses of cultural materials such as flaked stone artifacts, animal bones, prehistoric art, and
personal ornamentations.
A) Archaeology*
B) Biological anthropology
C) Cultural anthropology
D) Linguistic anthropology
, 2
5. Which of the following is a limitation of written records?
A) They may be biased.
B) They are a relatively recent development in the human past.
C) They rarely record the activities of everyday people.
D) All of the above.*
6. One of the basic truths in archaeology is that _________________ is everything.
A) context*
B) excavation
C) pedestrian survey
D) technology
7. Archaeologists who work in the field of _______________ have projects that are based on
recovering data about areas that will be impacted by new construction.
A) AD
B) BCE
C) CRM*
D) NAGPRA
8. Archaeobotanists explore the past using remains of plant materials. Which of the materials
below is not a plant remain?
A) Macrobotanical remains
B) Microfauna*
C) Phytoliths
D) Pollen
9. Site taphonomy refers to:
A) classifying archaeological sites based on physical appearance.
B) the natural and cultural processes that affect archaeological sites.*
C) a special type of precision instrument with a telescope that can be flipped.
D) the layers or levels at an archaeological site.
10. _________________ dating techniques provide a sequence of “older” and “younger” rather
than calendar dates.
A) Absolute
B) Chronometric
C) Radiometric
D) Relative*
11. This relative dating technique relies on recognizing styles of artifacts that have changed in
abundance over time.
A) Archaeomagnetism
B) Dendrochronology
C) Potassium-argon dating
, 3
D) Seriation*
12. This dating technique looks at soil layers—like a layer cake—with the oldest layers being at
the bottom.
A) Archaeomagnetism
B) Stratigraphy*
C) Optically stimulated luminescence dating
D) Thermoluminescence dating
13. Which absolute dating method is the most precise, usually to a specific calendar year?
A) 14C dating
B) Carbon dating
C) Dendrochronology*
D) Paleomagnetism
14. If an event occurred in 2000 BC, it occurred approximately _______________ years ago.
A) 1000
B) 2000
C) 4000*
D) 6000
15. This theoretical viewpoint focuses on the complex interactions between humans, other
species, and their environment.
A) Ecological archaeology*
B) Human behavioral ecology
C) Processual archaeology
D) Postprocessual archaeology
16. An approach to archaeology that is heavily reliant on hypothesis testing and the scientific
method is _________________________.
A) Ecological archaeology
B) Niche construction theory
C) Processual archaeology*
D) Postprocessual archaeology
17. A theoretical approach that focuses on different possible interpretations of evidence and a
critique of pure scientific objectivity is ______________________________.
A) Processual archaeology
B) Postprocessual archaeology*
C) Scientific method
D) Three Age System
18. ___________________ is an approach that focuses on the complex interplay of human
agency and the environment.
, 4
A) Agency
B) Darwinian
C) Gender
D) Ecodynamics*
19. _______________________ emphasizes the role of Native communities as active
participants in archaeological interpretation.
A) Geoarchaeology
B) Human behavioral ecology
C) Indigenous archaeology*
D) Paleoanthropology
20. The most common method of finding archaeological sites is:
A) processual archaeology.
B) pedestrian survey.*
C) written records.
D) submarines.
21. How do archaeologists make use of LiDAR technology?
A) LiDAR can quickly excavate through rocky soils.
B) LiDAR can accurately date archaeological materials.
C) LiDAR can extract DNA samples from human bone.
D) LiDAR can “see through” dense vegetation.*
22. When mapping a site, archaeologists establish a _____________________, or reference
point on the ground with known spatial coordinates.
A) datum*
B) total station
C) transit
D) UTM
23. Which of these materials could potentially be dated using 14C dating?
A) Charcoal
B) Stone tool fragment
C) Human bone
D) A and C*
24. Which of these dating methods extends the farthest into the past?
A) Dendrochronology
B) 14C dating
C) Potassium-argon dating*
D) Written records
