Quiz - The Variety of the Evidence

Which of the following is not an ecofact?

What prompted archaeologists to recognise the importance of identifying and accurately recording associated remains?

Primary context can be destroyed not only by looters but also by

Studies of cutmarks on animal bones by which two archaeologists, among others, showed that humans with stone tools may have often scavenged rather than hunted?

The aim of the experimental archaeology project at Overton Down, England, is

Cultural formation processes can be roughly divided into two types

__________ is crucial to reconstructing the original activity at a site.

In what ways can humans deliberately destroy the archaeological record?

Which are inorganic materials in the following list?

Archaeological electrolysis is used to

What metal favours the preservation of organic remains by preventing the activity of destructive micro-organisms?

The survival of organic materials is determined largely by

Excavations at the site of Ozette, Washington, were an excellent example of cooperation between archaeologists and indigenous peoples. The _______ Indians and archaeologist Richard Daughtery worked together to recover over 50,000 artefacts.

The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered by ______ and _______ in 1922 in an amazing state of preservation due to the hot, dry climate of Egypt.

A combination of salt and ____ aided in the preservation of a woolly rhinoceros at Starunia, Poland with skin intact.

The cold environment at Pazyryk in southern Siberia was a factor in the unusually good organic preservation in tombs there, resulting in the survival of the most fragile materials, including

The Ice Maiden, found on Peru’s Ampato Volcano, was most likely a

Waterlogged sites, as found in lakes, swamps, marshes, fens and peat bogs, effectively seal organic material in an environment that is

The preservation of corpses in peat bogs varies widely and often depends on the particular conditions. One of the best preserved examples of a bog body is

Experimental archaeology involving the construction of an earthwork at Overton Down, England, indicates that

Protected from outside climatic effects, caves may act as natural ‘conservatories’ creating local climates that can promote the preservation of organic remains. True or False?
True False

Perhaps the only drawback in the study of waterlogged wood is the impossibility of tree-ring dating such material. True or False?
True False

Artefacts underwater in the sea can sometimes be recovered, although seawater is one of the most destructive forces; but once coated with a thick hard casing of metallic salts (e.g. chlorides, sulphides and carbonates) the artefacts are permanently lost to time. True or False?
True False

Except for special circumstances, survival of organic materials is typically limited to cases of extreme moisture, such as very arid, frozen, or waterlogged conditions. True or False?
True False

Fired clay, such as pottery or baked mud-brick, is virtually indestructible if well fired. True or False?
True False

Metals such as gold, silver and lead survive well. True or False?
True False

One of the remarkable points about Otzi, the Iceman found in the Alps, is that he was a prehistoric human preserved with his everyday clothing and equipment, rather than carefully buried or sacrificed. True or False?
True False

Provenience is the horizontal and vertical position of an artefact within the matrix. True or False?
True False

Stone tools typically survive very poorly in the archaeological record, and are rarely discovered beyond approximately 5000 years ago. True or False?
True False

Arid conditions prevent decay through the shortage of water, which limits the ability of micro-organisms to survive. True or False?
True False