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Anthropology 11
Final
139
Archaeology
Undergraduate 4
12/11/2011

Additional Archaeology Flashcards

 


 

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Term
Archaeology covers all of human history, a tiny fraction of the age of the earth, which is about:
A) 46 billion years
B) 4600 years
C) 4.6 billion years
D) 4.6 million years
E) 46,000 years
Definition
C) 4.6 Billion years
Term
An important threshold number in human demography is:
A) 50,000
B) 50
C) 5
D) 5000
E) 500
Definition
E) 500
Term
Central scientific themes of this course are evolution and:
A) history
B) geology
C) dating
D) ecology
E) art
Definition
D) Ecology
Term
In both biological and cultural evolution the fundamental unit of selection is the
A) gene
B) society
C) individual
D) chromosome
E) meme
Definition
C) Individual
Term
The geographic coverage of this course includes:
A) North America, Mesoamerica, and South America
B) the Western Hemisphers
C) the Americas from the Arctic to Central America
D) only the contiguous forty-eight states
E) only the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean
Definition
C) the Americas from the Arctic to Central America
Term
An area of North American Archaeology that was long avoided by archaeologists but this is now increasingly part of what they study is:
A) settlement patterns
B) food remains
C) ceramics
D) rock art
E) stone tools
Definition
D) rock art
Term
North American archaeology is important to science because:
A) there's more money in it than there is in Classical archaeology.
B) people lived longer in the Americans than in other parts of the world.
C) there has been less destruction of archaeological remains here than elsewhere.
D) our universities are better.
E) it reveals that civilization arose independently more than once.
Definition
E) it reveals that civilization arose independently more than once.
Term
Archaeology is a scientific discipline that does not include:
A) chronology
B) ecology
C) history
D) paleontology
E) stratigraphy
Definition
D) paleontology
Term
Which of the following is not on of the terms used to classify polities?
A) band
B) chiefdom
C) tribe
D) nation
E) state
Definition
D) nation
Term
Which of the following is most accurate?
A) Cultural evolution proceeds through mechanisms different from those of biological evolution.
B) Cultural evolution proceeds through mechanisms identical with those of biological evolution.
C) Cultural evolution proceeds through mechanisms based on human will.
D) Cultural evolution proceeds through mechanisms determined by politics.
E) Cultural evolution proceeds through mechanisms that have yet to be discovered.
Definition
A) Cultural evolution proceeds through mechanisms different from those of biological evolution.
Term
Evidence that the Americas were initially populated by persons of Asian origin comes from ______________.
A) skeletal research
B) skeletal, genetic, and linguistic research
C) linguistic research
D) genetic research
E) skeletal and genetic research
Definition
B) skeletal, genetic, and linguistic research
Term
Many archaeologists now argue that the earliest people in America migrated down the Pacific Coast because _____________.
A) the deglaciated coastline between 15-16,000 years ago would have supplied driftwood as fuel for heat.
B) the hunter-gatherers of Siberia knew that America existed and took the quickest route to a better climate.
C) many sites in South America provide conclusive evidence that Native Americans moved rapidly down the coast.
D) all Native American groups along the Pacific Coast speak exactly the same language and look the same.
E) the earliest Native Americans left a written record of their travels.
Definition
B) the hunter-gatherers of Siberia knew that America existed and took the quickest route to a better climate.
Term
The practical limit to radiocarbon dating is closest to ___________ years.
A) 1 million
B) 1.8 million
C) 14,000
D) 500,000
E) 40,000
Definition
E) 40,000
Term
The Upper Paleolithic tool kit of Homo sapiens was different from that of Neanderthals and earlier humans because ___________.
A) it generally contained fewer types of tools as humans became more specialized.
B) its tools required the use of both language and demonstration to learn to manufacture.
C) it contained the first tools known to be used for agriculture.
D) it contained only tools made of stone.
E) it was found only in North America.
Definition
B) its tools required the use of both language and demonstration to learn to manufacture.
Term
Which of the following best describes the “land bridge” which existed between Siberia and Alaska and allowed the first people to enter North America?
A) a bed of gravel deposited by a retreating glacier that humans could walk on
B) a rudimentary bridge built by humans over a shallow sea
C) a wide stretch of land now known as Beringia
D) a narrow strip of ice connecting the two land masses
E) a large ice sheet connecting the continents
Definition
C) a wide stretch of land now known as Beringia
Term
The _________________ is a material culture complex that is thought to have spread into Eastern Siberia along with the ancestors of the first Native Americans.
A) Gravettian
B) Mousterian
C) Beringian
D) Solutrean
E) Paleoindian
Definition
A) Gravettian
Term
A 1300-year return of cold conditions in the early part of the Holocene is known as the _______________.
A) Little Ice Age
B) Pleistocene
C) Younger Dryas
D) Older Dryas
E) Upper Paleolithic
Definition
C) Younger Dryas
Term
Which of the following occurred during the Pleistocene epoch?
A) The United States supplanted Canada as the largest independent nation-state in North America.
B) Biologically modern human beings emerged in Africa.
C) The interbreeding of Neandertals and modern human beings gave rise to Cro Magnons in Europe.
D) William of Occam advocated the principle of parsimony.
E) The polar ice caps melted, causing ocean levels to reach unprecedented heights.
Definition
B) Biologically modern human beings emerged in Africa.
Term
All of the following are true about domesticated dogs EXCEPT?
A) they likely accompanied the first populations of humans that entered North America
B) they were intentionally domesticated by humans for the sole purpose of hunting
C) mitochondrial DNA seems to indicate that they all descend from a common origin in a single gene pool
D) they likely appeared in Eastern Asia around 15,000 years ago
E) there was strong selection for social and cognitive abilities during the course of domestication
Definition
E) there was strong selection for social and cognitive abilities during the course of domestication
Term
Which of the following does NOT characterize the Ushki complex?
A) stone and ivory beads.
B) having dogs.
C) exploitation of salmon runs.
D) a lack of terrestrial animal hunting.
E) bifacial knives and stemmed points.
Definition
D) a lack of terrestrial animal hunting.
Term
Throughout the Holocene, stable climatic conditions kept North American forests basically pristine.
A) True
B) False
Definition
B) False
Term
Which of the following is TRUE about the points that tipped the spears, darts, and knives of the Archaic peoples of North America?
A) points are so distinct that they can be used to date sites in the same way that geologists use index fossils
B) points were made only of sandstone because it was durable and easily available everywhere in North America
C) point styles were quite variable, but are often diagnostic of a specific region or time period
D) all points served similar functions and thus had very little variability in form
E) they were the first projectile points to be manufactured in the Americas using metal tools
Definition
C) point styles were quite variable, but are often diagnostic of a specific region or time period
Term
The large shell middens of the American Southeast are archaeologically attractive because:
A) shell neutralizes soil acidity and promotes good preservation of organic remains
B) middens are the only source of stone tools and pottery that is available in the southeast
C) the middens are only trash pits and are thus not attractive to archaeologists in any way
D) shell middens were typically the sites of large formal cemeteries
E) shell middnes are the remnants of stone monuments built to powerful chieftains
Definition
A) shell neutralizes soil acidity and promotes good preservation of organic remains
Term
The number that local populations generally must reach to make it possible to establish exclusive social and political boundaries, deny resources to outsiders, and store food for future consumption is ______.
A) 10,000
B) 500
C) 1,000
D) 50
E) 100
Definition
B) 500
Term
The BEST description of the Archaic period as it is understood by archaeologists today is:
A) the time period in which horses were first domesticated
B) a segment of time composed of the Early, Middle, Late, and Terminal periods that correspond with the same dates for each region of North America
C) a long period of hunting and gathering that took place after Paleoindians but before the advent of ceramics, agriculture, and permanent settlements
D) a brief period of rapid development in which large, permanent settlements were built
E) the terms “Archaic period” and “Archaic cultures” were totally abandoned after the introduction of radio-carbon dating
Definition
C) a long period of hunting and gathering that took place after Paleoindians but before the advent of ceramics, agriculture, and permanent settlements
Term
Which of the following is NOT a desirable characteristic of an animal to be domesticated?
A) grow quickly to adulthood.
B) are comfortable in herds.
C) weigh more than 100kg (212 pounds)
D) breed well in captivity.
E) are not subject to fits of panic.
Definition
C) weigh more than 100kg (212 pounds)
Term
Which of the following was NOT an adaptation of Late Paleoindian bands in response to changing environmental circumstances?
A) relatively complex technology with ground-stone tools, fishing equipment, and food boiling
B) construction of insulated living structures to cope with colder conditions
C) modification of the environment through forest burning
D) resource diversification to include more and smaller game
E) seasonal sedentism and scheduling
Definition
B) construction of insulated living structures to cope with colder conditions
Term
All of the following were centers of domestication in the Americas EXCEPT:
A) the Mexican highlands
B) the Canadian tundra
C) the andean highlands
D) US Eastern Woodland
E) the Amazon lowlands
Definition
B) the Canadian tundra
Term
The use of similar projectile point types, much like the use of index fossils in geological strata, to cross date sites:
A) Is the only method for accurately dating sites in North America.
B) Requires verification from a 2nd independent method for any serious analysis.
C) Is more expensive than radiocarbon dating because of the long hours required of the well paid field and laboratory archaeologists.
D) Produces reliable dates because the same types were always in use at exactly the same time.
E) Is quicker and more reliable than other laboratory techniques.
Definition
B) Requires verification from a 2nd independent method for any serious analysis.
Term
Which of the following is NOT a plant initially domesticated in North or Meso-America?
A) tomato
B) maize
C) sunflower
D) squash
E) beans
Definition
A) tomato
Term
After 1500 CE, the Navajo and Apache were able to move into areas that were largely abandoned by previous farmers because ________________________.
A) they possessed horses given to them by the Spanish
B) they possessed hunter-gatherers adaptations that were better suited to current environmental conditions
C) they experienced incredible overpopulation that forced them to move into uninhabited areas
D) they possessed superior weaponry and were able to force out the remaining inhabitants
E) they kept entirely to themselves and relied only on specialized tribal knowledge to survive
Definition
B) they possessed hunter-gatherers adaptations that were better suited to current environmental conditions
Term
All of the following are addressed by the hypothesis that Chacoan roads were built to facilitate pilgrimages to Chaco Canyon EXCEPT:
A) the acquisition and transportation of timbers
B) the high-quality construction of the roads
C) the location and distribution of religious artifacts found in the region
D) the importance of turquoise
E) the presence of surplus of rooms in Chacoan great houses
Definition
C) the location and distribution of religious artifacts found in the region
Term
What is the significance of Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon?
A) it has a petroglyph placed to mark solstices and equinoxes
B) it played a part in the Ancestral Puebloan origin myth
C) a large cache of turquoise beads was found there
D) a source of high grade obsidian
E) the site of a prehistoric watchtower
Definition
A) it has a petroglyph placed to mark solstices and equinoxes
Term
The Archaic culture that formed the foundation for the Ancestral Pueblo tradition is known to archaeologists as ______________.
A) O'odam
B) Navajo
C) Oshara
D) Mogollon
E) Apache
Definition
C) Oshara
Term
Accumulating evidence indicates that the first farming communities in the American Southwest were likely settled by _____________________.
A) an offshoot of the Hopewell culture that used their mound-building skills to construct irrigation systems
B) Athapaskan speakers who descend from people who drifted southward from Canada around 1500 CE
C) Spanish colonists who brought with them horses for plowing the land
D) a band a Great Plains hunters who began to farm after the disappearance of large buffalo species
E) Uto-Aztecan speakers expanding northward out of Mexico
Definition
E) Uto-Aztecan speakers expanding northward out of Mexico
Term
What apparently happened to the Ancestral Puebloan peoples living in Mesa Verde communities after AD 1300?
A) They were destroyed by warfare with Mogollon groups
B) They moved south and took up residence in Chaco communities and around the Rio Grande
C) They became the Navajo and Apache tribes
D) They stayed in the area but became hunters and gatherers
E) They moved to the Great Plains
Definition
B) They moved south and took up residence in Chaco communities and around the Rio Grande
Term
Between 1064 and 1066CE the Verde Valley was temporarily abandoned due to what natural phenomenon?
A) eruption of a volcano that caused a blanket of pumice and ash
B) impact of a medium sized asteroid that caused local climate change
C) large swarms of locusts that consumed all crops
D) an earthquake that damaged most dwellings
E) vast flooding due to glacial melting
Definition
A) eruption of a volcano that caused a blanket of pumice and ash
Term
All of the following are true about Fremont culture EXCEPT:
A) the earliest Fremont sites are five centuries older than Ancestral Peublo
B) Fremont culture emerged from Ancestral Pueblo culture after 1000 CE
C) the culture arose separately in various parts of the eastern Great Basin
D) individuals were part-time farmers who lived in scattered semi-sedentary farmsteads and small villages
E) variations of the Fremont culture all have ceramics, clay figurines, petroglyph styles, and settlement styles in common
Definition
B) Fremont culture emerged from Ancestral Pueblo culture after 1000 CE
Term
Evidence obtained using dendrochronology indicates that ______________began to plague the Southwest farmers after 1150 CE.
A) periodic droughts
B) swarms of locust
C) heavy rains
D) cycles of frost and warming events
E) hailstorms
Definition
A) periodic droughts
Term
Early Mogollon villages were typically located ______________, presumably for _____________.
A) in caves; protection
B) in river valleys; access to water
C) atop earlier Aztec sites; the ability to use abandoned architectural materials
D) near stands of scrub brush; a ready source of firewood
E) on hilltops and bluffs; defensive purposes
Definition
E) on hilltops and bluffs; defensive purposes
Term
Which of the following was the largest center of the Lowland (Peten) Maya with an estimated 120,000 inhabitants?
A) La Venta
B) Teotihuacan
C) Palenque
D) Tikal
E) Copan
Definition
D) Tikal
Term
Which of the following was an important trading center located between two urban centers that featured five defendable hills, earthworks, and ramparts?
A) Monte Alban
B) Chuicuilco
C) Palenque
D) Xochicalco
E) Teotihuacan
Definition
D) Xochicalco
Term
The elaborate calendrical systems of the Maya had their origins in ____________ culture - the best known of the formative cultures of later Mesoamerican societies.
A) Cichimec
B) Olmec
C) Zapotec
D) Aztec
E) Oaxacan
Definition
B) Olmec
Term
The domestication of plants in Mesoamerica, especially maize and _________, provided the foundation for the development of the first complex societies in North America.
A) wheat
B) barley
C) rice
D) potatoes
E) beans
Definition
E) beans
Term
All of the following are Olmec traits that are major themes in later Mesoamerican cultures EXCEPT:
A) large public monuments
B) luxury goods
C) ball game rituals
D) personal blood sacrifices
E) elaborate written music
Definition
E) elaborate written music
Term
All of the following are centers of the Classic Maya EXCEPT:
A) Palenque
B) Yaxchilan
C) Tikal
D) Teotihuacan
E) Copan
Definition
D) Teotihuacan
Term
All of the following are true about the ball games played in Mesoamerica EXCEPT:
A) Radiocarbon dates indicate that the game was played as far back as 1400 BCE
B) There are likely three main forms of the game with an unknown number of variants
C) Most balls were made from the latex sap of the lowland Castilla elastic tree
D) Nothing is known about the rules of the game or how it was actually played
E) Ball courts vary considerably in shape and size, but are typically “I” shaped
Definition
D) Nothing is known about the rules of the game or how it was actually played
Term
The politically dominant ethnic group in the Valley of Oaxaca during the Classic Period was the ________________.
A) Zapotec
B) Olmec
C) Mixtec
D) Toltec
E) Maya
Definition
A) Zapotec
Term
The collapse of Copan and other classic Maya ceremonial centers is most likely due to changes resulting from:
A) many centuries of overpopulation
B) a drop in the number of large game animals in the region
C) unpredictable variations in precipitation and temperature
D) a change in religion where these centers were no longer important
E) new diseases brought by Europeans
Definition
E) new diseases brought by Europeans
Term
Teotihuacan became the greatest urban center in the Basin of Mexico after ______________ destroyed much of the infrastructure of the city of Cuicuilco.
A) invading Aztec armies
B) several volcanic eruptions
C) a series of inept political leaders
D) a collapse of the city's irrigation system
E) a series of droughts
Definition
B) several volcanic eruptions
Term
The capital of the Toltec Empire was _______.
A) Uxmal
B) Cholula
C) Monte Alban
D) Teotihuacan
E) Tula
Definition
E) Tula
Term
The two main island cities at the heart of the Aztec empire were:
A) Texcotzingo and Texcoco
B) Tlacopan and Azcapotzalco
C) Chalco and Xochimilco
D) Tula and Tollan
E) Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan
Definition
E) Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan
Term
Approximately how many Gods were likely recognized by the Aztecs as part of their religious practice?
A) 50
B) 100+
C) 5
D) 15
E) 1
Definition
B) 100+
Term
Which of the following best describes the fate of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan?
A) It was planned, but was never built due to severe population decline.
B) It was destroyed by the Spanish and no trace of it remains on the landscape.
C) It is mostly intact and functions as a tourist attraction in Mexico City.
D) It was built on unstable ground and sunk into the swamp surrounding the city.
E) It was deliberately destroyed by the Spanish and buried under rubble until discovered in 1978.
Definition
E) It was deliberately destroyed by the Spanish and buried under rubble until discovered in 1978.
Term
The largest pyramid in the Americas was built at which of the following sites?
A) Cacaxtla
B) Tula
C) Cholula
D) Teotihuacan
E) Tenochtitlan
Definition
C) Cholula
Term
Mixtec craftspeople are best known for creating complex stonework mosaics, brightly colored ceramics, and elaborate objects made of ________________.
A) Gold
B) Bronze
C) Copper
D) Silver
E) Iron
Definition
A) Gold
Term
Which of the following best describes the Aztec “flowery wars”?
A) wars fought over land where rare ceremonial flowering plants were grown
B) battles between the Aztec armies and neighboring city-states where no weapons were used
C) staged opportunities for warriors to gain prestige and take captives for sacrifice
D) Aztec wars where arrows were highly decorated with brightly colored flowers
E) a series of minor conflicts fought primarily by women
Definition
C) staged opportunities for warriors to gain prestige and take captives for sacrifice
Term
The pochteca can be best described as ________________.
A) Mixtec polychrome pots
B) Aztec long-distance traders
C) destitute commoners in the Aztec Empire
D) Tlaxcalan warriors
E) Aztec warriors
Definition
B) Aztec long-distance traders
Term
The Aztec Empire initiated with the forming of the Triple Alliance and a successful rebellion against the ___________________ in 1427.
A) Zapotecs
B) Mixtecs
C) Mexica
D) Chontal Mayas
E) Tepanecs
Definition
E) Tepanecs
Term
Aztec calendric and mathematical systems are better understood than those of the Classic Maya because _________.
A) archaeologists have spent more time studying them.
B) their systems were much closer to the modern European systems and thus are easier to interpret.
C) descendants of the Aztecs still use these systems and have told anthropologists how they world.
D) their systems were much more complicated but better documented than those of the Maya.
E) several records from the 16th century exist that help us to interpret dates and counting systems.
Definition
E) several records from the 16th century exist that help us to interpret dates and counting systems.
Term
Mississippian polities with large platform mound chiefdom centers arose in the Eastern Woodlands ___________.
A) before the great migration took place between North and South America
B) as a response to the arrival of Spanish conquistadores in the area
C) after the previous occupants of the area were displaced by a Quetzackoatl invasion
D) after Mesoamerican maize was added to the regional diet
E) after buffalo became the primary source of dietary protein in the region
Definition
D) after Mesoamerican maize was added to the regional diet
Term
Which of the following is NOT generally true of chiefdoms?
A) They are more complex than tribes
B) They have two or more levels of integration
C) The chief is not all-powerful
D) Chiefs maintain support by the control and redistribution of food and other valuables
E) They are very stable and often last for a very long time
Definition
E) They are very stable and often last for a very long time
Term
The rise of the South American Mississippian culture involved ___________________.
A) the development and manufacture the Quetzackoatl toolkit
B) at least some migration of Siouan-speaking groups from the Midwest
C) the widespread use of modern weapons, including firearms
D) the merger of several Plains Indian tribes with the local inhabitants of the Mississippian Valley
E) the establishment of fortified settlements overlooking the Mississippian Basin
Definition
B) at least some migration of Siouan-speaking groups from the Midwest
Term
Cahokia most likely reached a maximum population of ______________.
A) 40,000
B) 500
C) 6,000
D) 20,000
E) 1,000
Definition
C) 6,000
Term
All of the following are true of Plaquemine Mississippian societies EXCEPT?
A) Sites were only populated during major ritual events
B) Culture grew out of Coles Creek culture in the lower Mississippi Valley and surrounding territory
C) Farmers depended on maize, beans, and squash as primary domesticates
D) Sites featured new and expanded platform mounds
E) Most characteristics of Plaquemine societies were entirely new and unrelated to any known culture
Definition
E) Most characteristics of Plaquemine societies were entirely new and unrelated to any known culture
Term
How can we tell that Mississippian people were eating more maize than people that came before them?
A) there are elevated levels of Carbon-13 (13C) in their bones
B) there are murals showing men farming
C) the human remains show better dental health, a sign of a high carbohydrate diet
D) archaeologists have found the remains of huge structures that served as storage buildings
E) archaeologists have found special tools that are used to remove corn kernels from the cob
Definition
A) there are elevated levels of Carbon-13 (13C) in their bones
Term
Middle Mississippian sites typically DID NOT have which of the following?
A) Chiefdom level social complexity
B) Earthen mounds
C) Palisades
D) Draft animals
E) Artifacts of the Southern Ceremonial Complex
Definition
D) Draft animals
Term
In the Mississippian region, an important non-agricultural source of protein was provided by ______________.
A) Fish
B) Human Flesh
C) Maize
D) Wild beans
E) Algae
Definition
A) Fish
Term
The loose set of standard symbols and artifacts found at Mississippian sites is known as the __________.
A) Southern Ceremonial Complex
B) Cahokia Complex
C) Mississippian Style
D) Ceremonial Buzzard Complex
E) Southwestern Artifact Complex
Definition
A) Southern Ceremonial Complex
Term
Which of the following is the only Mississippian chiefdom for which we have a detailed and reliable documentary history?
A) Toltec
B) Plaquemine
C) Cohokia
D) Coles Creek
E) Natchez
Definition
E) Natchez
Term
Which of the following is the major assumption underlying the in situ hypothesis as posed by James Griffin?
A) crops such as maize, beans, and squash evolved in situ in the Northeastern United States prior to being exploited by Native Americans
B) large game animals and Native American tribes in the northeastern United State co-evolved
C) tribes must remain in situ for extremely long periods of time for evidence of their evolution to be found
D) migration is rare and has to be supported by strong evidence before it can be inferred
E) lithic, botanical, settlement, and linguistic data will always be found for any tribe that evolved in situ
Definition
D) migration is rare and has to be supported by strong evidence before it can be inferred
Term
Which of the following cultures documents early Algonquin expansion around 1 CE ?
A) Navajo
B) Point Peninsula
C) Natchez
D) Oneota
E) Hopewell
Definition
B) Point Peninsula
Term
Eastern Algonquians expanded southward along the Atlantic coast adopting ____________ that facilitated the rise of chiefdoms in some areas.
A) wheat and barley farming
B) bison hunting
C) a new method for preserving food
D) maize farming
E) a complex system of trade
Definition
D) maize farming
Term
Algonquian rock art emphasizes imagery of _________________.
A) warfare and human sacrifice
B) transformation and sexuality
C) agriculture
D) hunting
E) political organization
Definition
B) transformation and sexuality
Term
Which of the following led to the development of the Iroquoian longhouse?
A) the introduction of iron tools that allowed for the harvesting of old-growth forests
B) the rapid development of new architectural technology
C) a cultural need to display new forms of weaving
D) the need to protect females in the tribe from raids by neighboring groups
E) strong matrilineal organization and matrilocal postmarital residence
Definition
E) strong matrilineal organization and matrilocal postmarital residence
Term
During the Medieval Maximum the boundary at which 120 frost free days occur annually shifted further _____________.
A) North
B) South
C) Northeast
D) East
E) West
Definition
A) North
Term
Epidemics in the American Northeast in general were delayed by _______________.
A) the French
B) the great vacant areas of low population in the Appalachians
C) the absence of European children who carried the germs that Native Americans lacked immunity towards
D) the Little Ice Age
E) Iroquoian social organization
Definition
C) the absence of European children who carried the germs that Native Americans lacked immunity towards
Term
In what general region did Siouan and Algonquian groups rely heavily on wild rice for subsistence?
A) Appalachian Mountains
B) Hudson Bay
C) Mid-Atlantic coast
D) New England
E) Great Lakes
Definition
E) Great Lakes
Term
Which of the following directly contributed to the displacement of swidden farmers in the northeastern United States?
A) a series of years that experienced early frosts that decimated maize crops
B) environmental degradation as the result of the continued burning of large areas of forest
C) The American Revolution
D) out-competition by European colonists using domestic draft animals
E) European colonists farmed using only foreign, better-producing crop varieties
Definition
D) out-competition by European colonists using domestic draft animals
Term
Which of the following Gulf Coast cultures may have had connections with the Southeastern United States?
A) Huastecs
B) Mixtecs
C) Olmecs
D) Zapotecs
E) Aztecs
Definition
A) Huastecs
Term
Which of the following is the most likely function of the wheels found by archaeologists in Veracruz, Mexico?
A) chariots
B) vessels for transporting ceremonial goods
C) toys
D) mills for grinding maize
E) wagons pulled by draft animals
Definition
C) toys
Term
Although ____________ culture spread rapidly through the Lesser Antilles around 500 BCE, the pottery-making technology associated with them did not reach Cuba until almost 1,000 years later.
A) Ostionoid
B) Criollo
C) Saladoid
D) Huastec
E) Calusa
Definition
C) Saladoid
Term
The ____________________ societies were among the first in North America to adopt maize as a staple crop.
A) Hopewell
B) Iroquoian
C) Weeden Island
D) Mississippian
E) Safety Harbor
Definition
C) Weeden Island
Term
The ____________ site was a key ceremonial center for the Pensacola Culture despite its swampy and seemingly remote location.
A) Crystal River
B) Mesa Verde
C) Miami Circle
D) Bottle Creek
E) Dickson Mounds
Definition
D) Bottle Creek
Term
The ___________________site was discovered during the course of a modern construction project and illustrates the complications that can arise when archaeological finds become politicized.
A) Fort Myers
B) Key Marco
C) Miami Circle
D) Safety Harbor
E) Crystal River
Definition
C) Miami Circle
Term
The Calusas of southern Florida developed chiefdoms despite their ____________________.
A) inability to select strong leaders
B) tendency to relocate their towns frequently
C) inability to utilize marine resources effectively
D) lack of written writing
E) lack of agriculture
Definition
E) lack of agriculture
Term
The first wave of people to colonize the West Indies likely migrated by boat from the __________________around 4900 BCE.
A) Valdes Peninsula
B) Yucatan Peninsula
C) southern tip of Florida
D) northernmost tip of Venezuela
E) Gulf Coast of Texas
Definition
B) Yucatan Peninsula
Term
Which of the following is a unique characteristic of the Key Marco site located in the Glades region of Florida?
A) written records containing rudimentary census data were preserved between layers of clay
B) underwater excavations of the site had to be performed in protective cages
C) the marshes of the Glades inhibited decomposition and produced several well-preserved mummies
D) the skeletons of several species of extinct crocodile were found there
E) perishable wood artifacts were particularly well preserved in the wet environment
Definition
E) perishable wood artifacts were particularly well preserved in the wet environment
Term
Which of the following was NOT a European contribution to the West Indies in the late 15th/early 16th century?
A) potatoes
B) pigs, goats, and sheep
C) rats and mice
D) smallpox and measles
E) grapes
Definition
A) potatoes
Term
1.Clovis material culture is most easily distinguished from most other Paleoindian complexes by
___________________.
A) its elaborate works of cave art
B) microblades and wedge-shaped cores
C) association with extinct mammals
D) a wide array of side- and end- scrapers
E) its highly distinctive fluted projectile points
Definition
E) its highly distinctive fluted projectile points
Term
2.Clovis culture, the oldest well-attested Paleoindian culture in North America, was widespread by:
A) 19,500 BCE
B) 17,300 BCE
C) 15,500 BCE
D) 24,000 BCE
E) 11,100 BCE
Definition
E) 11,100 BCE
Term
3.Paleoindians apparently adapted to the warmer, drier climate conditions accompanying the:
A) end of the Younger Dryas.
B) onset of the Younger Dryas.
C) waning of the Pleistocene.
D) end of the holocene.
E) onset of the Pleistocene.
Definition
C) waning of the Pleistocene.
Term
4.All of the following make it difficult for modern archaeologists to study the earliest people in North
America EXCEPT:
A) Early Native American populations were small and carried relatively few material possessions.
B) All of the earliest sites have already been found and there is nothing left for modern archaeologists to
study.
C) Much of the Pacific Coast where migrations may have occurred is now below sea level.
D) Only a small number of sites exist spread over the entire North American continent.
E) Many valleys where hunting and camp sites may have been located are buried under significant
amounts of accumulated sediment.
Definition
B) All of the earliest sites have already been found and there is nothing left for modern archaeologists to
study.
Term
5.Most of the key Late Paleoindian sites have been found in or near______________.
A) The Greater Southwest
B) The Arctic and Subarctic
C) Southern Canada and the Great Lakes
D) The West Coast and Mexico
E) The Great Plains and the Eastern Woodlands
Definition
E) The Great Plains and the Eastern Woodlands
Term
6.Which of the following is a reason why some archaeologists forcefully argue AGAINST the overkill

hypothesis?
A) No extinctions occurred at the same time on islands or other continents
B) The extinction was more severe and occurred faster than any other in the past 65 million years
C) Nearly simultaneous extinctions of large mammals occurred from Alaska to Patagonia
D) Only a few Paleoindian sites contain clear evidence that human hunters successfully killed large
Pleistocene mammals
E) Virtually all plants survived the mass extinction of large mammals
Definition
D) Only a few Paleoindian sites contain clear evidence that human hunters successfully killed large
Pleistocene mammals
Term
7.Clovis complex materials have been found _____________________.
A) mainly in Canada.
B) from Canada to the southern tip of South America.
C) only in Alaska.
D) to be mostly limited to the Great Plains and the American Southwest.
E) across the lower 48 states, northern Mexico, and parts of Canada.
Definition
E) across the lower 48 states, northern Mexico, and parts of Canada.
Term
8.The ____________ complex is the best candidate to be the ancestor of Clovis culture.
A) Lower Paleolithic
B) Folsom
C) Nevada
D) Nenana
E) Inuit
Definition
D) Nenana
Term
9.Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of most legitimate sites claiming evidence for pre-Clovis
occupation?
A) The site has a suite of radiocarbon dates exhibiting low standard error.
B) Multiple samples were dated from undisturbed strata in direct contact with diagnostic artifacts.
C) Radiocarbon dates were run on an individual, clean, and taxonomically indentified carbon samples.
D) The analysis of the site was widely publicized only in newspapers, magazines, or online sites.
E) The results of the site analysis were published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Definition
D) The analysis of the site was widely publicized only in newspapers, magazines, or online sites.
Term
10.Early remains and radiocarbon dates from this site support the theory of an early spread of maritime
people southward along the pacific coast.
A) Monte Verde
B) Mesa
C) Cactus Hill
D) Meadowcroft
E) Topper
Definition
A) Monte Verde
Term
1.Which of the following occurred around the same time as the decline of Hopewell culture?
A) appearance of the bow and arrow
B) written records were first kept by tribes as a means to maintain their cultural heritage
C) earthworks became even more highly valued in society as they became more difficult to construct
D) decreased costal foraging as a result of a rise in sea levels
E) development of a more deadly form of hand ax
Definition
A) appearance of the bow and arrow
Term
2.What major force decimated the eastern Indian nations around the time the first Euroamericans were
arriving?
A) climatic shifts
B) a major shift in ideology
C) smallpox and other diseases
D) Warfare
E) locust swarms
Definition
C) smallpox and other diseases
Term
3.Exotic materials recovered from Adena - Hopewell graves do NOT typically include:
A) Marine shell from the Gulf of Mexico
B) Gold nuggets from Mesoamerica
C) Chalcedony from North Dakota, Illinois, and Indiana
D) Mica from the southern Appalachians
E) Copper nuggets from the Upper Great Lakes
Definition
B) Gold nuggets from Mesoamerica
Term
4.True or False: The Eastern Woodlands is an area south of Canada and east of the Great Plains that has
extremely well defined environmental boundaries within the region differentiating various tribal areas.
A) True
B) False
Definition
B) False
Term
5.Which of the following are very early, and surprisingly large, earthwork complexes found in Louisiana?
A) Watson Brake and Newark
B) Fort Ancient and Marieta
C) Mound City and Newark
D) Hopewell and Adena
E) Watson Brake and Poverty Point
Definition
E) Watson Brake and Poverty Point
Term
6.Which of the following makes Fort Ancient distinct from earlier mound-building cultures?
A) Their mounds were built only in geometric shapes, such as triangles, squares, and hexagons.
B) They built mounds primarily out of shell and discarded pottery.
C) Their earthworks were built and used as defensive fortifications.
D) They did not build any mounds.
E) They had an elite upper class that impacted the method of burial for every individual.
Definition
C) Their earthworks were built and used as defensive fortifications.
Term
7.Domestication of plants in the Eastern Woodlands period set the stage for which of the following?
A) widespread trade in both raw materials and finished products
B) widespread trade in raw materials, but not finished products
C) the construction of earthworks
D) widespread trade in both raw materials and finished products as well as the construction of
earthworks
E) animal domestication
Definition
D) widespread trade in both raw materials and finished products as well as the construction of
earthworks
Term
8.Arrange the Woodland Period mound building traditions in chronological order of their appearance:
A) Hopewell, Fort Ancient, Adena
B) Fort Ancient, Adena, Hopewell
C) Adena, Hopewell, Fort Ancient
D) Adena, Fort Ancient, Hopewell
E) Hopewell, Adena, Fort Ancient
Definition
C) Adena, Hopewell, Fort Ancient
Term
9.All of the following are true about burial mounds, EXCEPT that they were:
A) popular because they were prominent on the landscape and required only simple engineering.
B) typically built by cultures that did not have well-defined territorial boundaries.
C) each required a period of several months to a year to construct.
D) constructed without the existence of complex social and political organization.
E) cheap and easy to construct.
Definition
C) each required a period of several months to a year to construct.
Term
10.Which of the following is NOT true about Hopewell culture?
A) declined around 1000CE as the result of a dramatic shift in climate
B) expanded through the mechanisms of trade and exchange
C) built mounds of different geometric shapes, often linked together into larger complexes
D) utilized exotic raw materials such as copper, mica, galena, marine shells, and alligator teeth
E) developed out of the Adena culture around 200 BCE
Definition
A) declined around 1000CE as the result of a dramatic shift in climate
Term
1. Which of the following events directly resulted in the confiscation and redistribution of
thousands of Spanish horses to various Native American tribes in the Great Plains?

A) La Salle’s Expedition to the Texas coast

B) French trade from the Great Lakes

C) the Lewis and Clark expedition

D) Ponce De Leon’s entrada into Florida

E) the Pueblo Revolt of 1680
Definition
E) the Pueblo Revolt of 1680
Term
Which of the following is significant about Fremont basketry that indicates that the culture evolved locally?
A) Baskets have been found with graves in the area over large stretches of time
B) Fremont oral tradition contains stories of the origins of basket-making
C) Fremont baskets are incredibly similar in materials and construction to most of the neighboring tribes
D) Most baskets are coated with a resin made from local minerals to allow them to hold water
E) Baskets are distinctive but derive from earlier forms found in Utah
Definition
E) Baskets are distinctive but derive from earlier forms found in Utah
Term
Native Americas were able to adapt to and flourish in the Plateau of the Northwest region of the United States due to the presence of large game animals, edible roots, and ________________.
A) fertile farmland
B) migratory birds
C) old-growth timber
D) small game animals
E) migratory fish
Definition
E) migratory fish
Term
Which of the following BEST describes the Great Plains?
A) a vast grassland with a few forests on a few mountains and along rivers
B) a vast section of North America characterized by the presence of large salt lakes, glacial valleys, and brush forests
C) a large area of land that spans from the Mississippi River to the coast of the Pacific Ocean
D) a grassland rich in roots, tubers, berries, grains, and other edible food crops
E) a vast grassland with no trees
Definition
A) a vast grassland with a few forests on a few mountains and along rivers
Term
Which of the following is known for their exploitation of multiple microenvironments and is among the best known historic peoples of the Great Basin?
A) Navajo
B) Hopewell
C) Mohawk
D) Shoshone
E) Algonquian
Definition
D) Shoshone
Term
Which of the following was the primary feature of Numic speaking peoples that allowed them to be more successful in the Great Basin than the Fremont culture?
A) they brought with them better producing corn and wheat varieties that were adapted for harsh environments
B) they used more advanced hunting strategies to take down more large-game animals
C) their language and religious practices allowed them to create a large trade network in the region
D) they had natural resistance to the strain of smallpox that wiped out the Fremont people
E) their hunter-gatherer adaptation was better suited to the Great Basin around the time of the Medieval Maximum
Definition
E) their hunter-gatherer adaptation was better suited to the Great Basin around the time of the Medieval Maximum
Term
Which of the following was a distinctive feature of the hunter-gatherers that settled the eastern Great Plains?
A) they had an abundance of meat and traded with farmers for plant foods
B) they had a unique language that made trade with other local tribes difficult
C) they settled in small groups along streams to facilitate the first pottery-making in the region
D) they took advantage of the fertile soil to begin planting and domesticating root crops
E) they used an early form of the crossbow to more effectively hunt bison and other large game animals
Definition
A) they had an abundance of meat and traded with farmers for plant foods
Term
Pithouses were developed and built by sedentary peoples living on the Plateau of the Northwest coast as a way to ________________.
A) protect against the dangers of landslides and earthquakes
B) stay cool during the hot summer months and warm during the harsh winters
C) build houses quickly to accommodate rapid population growth
D) keep large stores of corn and root crops from going bad over the winter months
E) dffectively smoke fish caught during salmon runs and meat from large game animals
Definition
B) stay cool during the hot summer months and warm during the harsh winters
Term
The primary food source for thousands of years for the Native American tribes of the Great Plains was _________.
A) domesticated cattle
B) maize
C) wheat
D) bison
E) roots and tubers
Definition
D) bison
Term
Which of the following is the main reason why medicine wheels were constructed by Grain Plains Indian cultures?
A) They served as territorial neutral ground for regional inter-tribal councils.
B) The wheels served as a form of astrological calendar indicating when to plant and harvest crops.
C) They provided a template for laying out historic period settlements.
D) The purpose of these features is still uncertain.
E) They served as ritual centers for cultural ceremonies including healing ceremonies and battle dances.
Definition
D) The purpose of these features is still uncertain.
Term
Classic features of historic Northwest Coast culture include totem poles, large dugout canoes, wooden boxes, elaborate masks decorated in a distinctive art style, and ________________.
A) large mounds made of animal bone
B) formal regional cemeteries
C) small shrines dedicated to the Gods of the sea
D) massive ceremonial fire pits
E) large cedar plank houses
Definition
E) large cedar plank houses
Term
Historic northwest cultures developed a system of competitive feasting and conspicuous consumption that anthropologists often lump under the term _____________.
A) labret
B) penutian
C) cornucopian fete
D) fiesta
E) potlatch
Definition
E) potlatch
Term
Ozette, the most famous site along the northern coast, has an exceptionally well-preserved record of the Makah Indians who lived there because _____________________.
A) the site was buried during a mudslide
B) a large tsumani cover the site with a layer of silt and mud
C) the Makah Indians fought hard to prevent looting of the site prior to its excavation
D) Spanish missionaries produced detailed notes and records
E) it is located in an extremely arid environment
Definition
A) the site was buried during a mudslide
Term
Wooden racks found at wet sites along the Hoko River near the Oregon coast were used to ____________________.
A) torture captives
B) carry supplies over long distances for trade
C) dry fish in the sun
D) carry infants while working in the fields
E) display enemy scalps
Definition
C) dry fish in the sun
Term
_______________ served as a type of currency among ancient and historic peoples of the West Coast.
A) Otter teeth
B) Whale bones
C) Olivella shell
D) Otter skins
E) metal fishhooks and spear tips
Definition
C) Olivella shell
Term
Which of the following best describes the language families found on the Northwest Coast?
A) small pockets of unrelated languages that indicate multiple recent migrations to the area
B) a single language family in this region as a result of one ancient migration event
C) several fairly modern language families that are derived from other tribes to the east of California
D) several very old language families in the region that suggest a long history of cultural divergence
Definition
D) several very old language families in the region that suggest a long history of cultural divergence
Term
Which of the following best characterizes the subsistence strategies of groups in later California during the "Middle Horizon?"
A) adoption of the bow and arrow and intensification of big game hunting
B) coastal exploitation of seaweed and beached whales
C) increasingly intensive use of small fish and game species and exploitation of dietary staples like acorns
D) concentration on seasonally abundant salmon runs
E) adoption of maize and bean agriculture combined with partial domestication of local plant resources
Definition
C) increasingly intensive use of small fish and game species and exploitation of dietary staples like acorns
Term
Which of the following was the driving factor behind the formation and maintenance of chiefdoms in the Chumash culture?
A) the need to organize small villages into larger groups to resist Spanish attempts to civilize the tribes
B) the persistent threat of attack from neighboring tribes searching for additional resources
C) organizational challenges related to the planting, irrigation, and harvesting of many food crops
D) organizational challenges related to the construction, maintenance, and use of large plank canoes
Definition
D) organizational challenges related to the construction, maintenance, and use of large plank canoes
Term
All of the following are true of the Namu site EXCEPT?
A) it was inhabited from 10,000 - 5800 BCE
B) both microblades and elements of the pebble tool tradition are present
C) it is one of the oldest known sites on the coast of British Columbia
D) huge shell middens were used for burials of high-status individuals
E) it was inhabited by marine hunters
Definition
D) huge shell middens were used for burials of high-status individuals
Term
Why was the last prehistoric man to survive in the United States simply called “Ishi”, which translates to man in the Yahi language?
A) The anthropologists were uncertain which culture he was from and assigned him a name based on local languages.
B) In the Yahi language, the man’s name had multiple syllables with sounds that were unable to be produced by the English speaking people he encountered.
C) The man was mute and thus unable to speak and tell anyone his name.
D) In his culture, people did not speak their own names and no one else was left to tell his name to others.
Definition
D) In his culture, people did not speak their own names and no one else was left to tell his name to others.
Term
Which of the following represents a technological innovation that is not known to be part of the Dorset Culture?
A) oil lamps
B) kayaks
C) pottery
D) thrusting harpoons
E) bows and arrows
Definition
C) pottery
Term
Which of the following best describes the social organization of subarctic peoples?
A) Large but thinly scattered villages ruled by a single tribal council
B) Small, thinly scattered, linked bands
C) Small, densely packed villages located near resources
D) Large villages made up of many smaller family units
E) Small, autonomous bands that rarely had contact with each other
Definition
B) Small, thinly scattered, linked bands
Term
_________culture replaced the Dorset culture and other cultures it encountered as it spread and represented the last major cultural expansion out of Alaska.
A) Pre-Dorset
B) Norton
C) Thule
D) Birnirk
E) Kachemak
Definition
C) Thule
Term
Stage 1 development in the Arctic, which stretches from 15,000 – 5,000 BCE, can BEST be described as the stage _______________________.
A) that provides the earliest indisputable archaeological evidence for people in the Arctic
B) when first contact was made with European explorers
C) where climatic conditions were mild enough to allow farming to develop
D) that provides the earliest evidence of the use of oil lamps and insulated clothing
E) prior to the arrival of people when large land mammals moved into the region
Definition
A) that provides the earliest indisputable archaeological evidence for people in the Arctic
Term
Large, crescent shaped knives used both historically and in ancient times by peoples of the Arctic are called ______________.
A) anangulas
B) steatites
C) umiaks
D) labrets
E) ulus
Definition
E) ulus
Term
Which of the following was an important technological feature developed in Arctic Stage 4, which occurred between 1200 (+/- 400) BCE to 600 (+/-500)CE?
A) stone lamps
B) semisubterranean houses
C) timber harvesting
D) copper-working
E) microblades
Definition
A) stone lamps
Term
The small burins, side blades, microblades, and microcores of the Eskimo Small Tool Tradition were manufactured _____________________.
A) to train children to use the tools they wold need later in life
B) to more easily butcher fish and small animals
C) be easily portable and carried while hunting
D) to edge normal sized compound tools
E) for the use of a race of little people
Definition
D) to edge normal sized compound tools
Term
Who were the first outsiders to make contact with the Thule Eskimos of the eastern Arctic?
A) American whalers searching for better hunting grounds
B) Norse settlers who settled in Greenland and Newfoundland
C) English explorers searching for the Northwest Passage
D) Spanish explorers searching for gold in the new world
E) Siberian hunters following herds of caribou
Definition
B) Norse settlers who settled in Greenland and Newfoundland
Term
After the adoption of the bow and arrow sometime after 600 CE, the Algonquians of the Eastern Subarctic expanded ___________________.
A) to the western parts of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands
B) along the Pacific Coast
C) south of the Great Lakes to the Eastern Woodlands
D) to large portions of the Great Plains
E) to much of what would later be known as British Columbia and Alberta Canada
Definition
C) south of the Great Lakes to the Eastern Woodlands
Term
Which of the following was the primary subsistence activity(ies) for Eastern Subarctic Algonquians?
A) Wild Rice gathering by canoe
B) Whale and seal hunting
C) Maize and bean cultivation
D) Caribou hunting and fishing
E) Nut and berry gathering
Definition
D) Caribou hunting and fishing
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