1.Processualarchaeologyisappealingtosomearchaeologistsbecauseit:​
a.​isconcernedwithdiscoveringandinterpretingsymbolicrelationshipsbetweenmaterialcultureandthehuman
mind.
b.​emphasizesthevalues,ideas,andbeliefsthatmakepeoplehuman,andislessconcernedwiththematerial
conditionsofexistence.
c.​placespriorityontheverythingsthatarchaeologistsaremostconfidentinrecoveringfromarchaeological
sites,suchasenvironment,technology,andeconomy.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
2.Whichofthefollowingistrueofcognitivearchaeology?​
a.​Itisappealingtoculturalmaterialistswhoarelessconcernedwithinterpretingsymbolicrelationshipsthan
withreconstructingthematerialconditionsoflife.
b.​Itisthestudyofallthoseaspectsofancientculturethatareaproductofthehumanmind.
c.​Itisbasedmoreintheprocessualthaninthepostprocessualparadigm.
d.​Hypothesesgeneratedwithincognitivearchaeologycannotbetested,andarethereforeunscientific.
3.Anobjectoractthatbyculturalconventionstandsforsomethingelsewithwhichithasnonecessaryconnectionis
a(n):​
a.​symbol.
b.​sign.
c.​icon.
d.​artifact.
4.Whichofthefollowingistrueofsymbolsandsymbolicbehavior?​
a.​Theabilitytousesymbolsliesattheheartofwhatitmeanstobehuman;uniquelyhumanattributes,suchas
language,aremadepossiblebytheabilitytousesymbols.
b.​Symbolshavenonecessaryconnectiontotheirculturallyassignedmeanings;thismeansthatthesame
symbolscandifferinmeaningcross-culturally,andthatsymbolicbehaviorisdifficulttostudy
archaeologically.
c.​Thesamesymbolcancarrydifferentmeaningsindifferentcontextswithinthesameculture.
d.Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
5.Thedifferencebetweenasymbolandasignis:​
a.​asymbolhasconnectiontowhatitsignifies,whileasigndoesnot.
b.​asignhasaconnectiontowhatitsignifies,whileasymboldoesnot.
c.​symbolisanarchaeologicaltermthatreferstoprehistoricbehavior,whilesignisanethnographictermthat
referstothebehavioroflivingpeople.
d.​thereisnodifferencebetweenthem;symbolandsignaretermsthatareuseinterchangeably.
6.MaryDouglas,asymbolicanthropologist,hasarguedthatwhichofthefollowingexplainsNearEasternfood
taboossuchastheprohibitionagainsteatingpork?​
a.​Prohibitedanimalsarethosethatviolateculturalideasabouttheorderofcreation.
b.​Anyfoodwillbetabooedwhenthecostofproducingitoutweighsitsvalue(incaloriesornutrients).
c.​Animalsincludedinfoodtaboosarealwaysthosethatdonotoccurnaturallyinthegeographicregionofthe
taboo;eithertheanimalneverlivedintheregion,ortheylivedthereonceandarenoextinct.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
7.Asociety’smechanismforrelatingsupernaturalphenomenatotheeverydayworld,andenlistingsupernatural
powerstoachieveorpreventtransformationsofstateinhumansandnature,is:​
a.​religion.
b.​ritual.
c.​cosmology.
d.​sympatheticmagic.
8.Theanalysisofpastritualbehaviorisarchaeology’smajorcontributiontothestudyofreligionbecause:​
a.​whileallprehistoricculturesparticipatedinritualactivities,manyprehistoricculturesdidnothavereligion.
b.​ritualsarebehavioralactsthatoftenentailmaterialcultureandthatthereforecanberepresentedinthe
archaeologicalrecord.
c.​mostarchaeologistsagreethatprehistoricreligioncannotbestudiedbecauseitisarchaeologicallyinvisible;it
isthereforeawasteoftime,energy,andmoneytoattemptsuchastudy.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
9.Whydomanyarchaeologistsfeelthatoraltraditionsarenotasreliableasourceofinformationasarchaeological
data?​
a.​Oraltraditionscanchangeovertime;theoldertheeventsdescribed,themorelikelythatelementswere
droppedoradded.
b.​Oraltraditionscanbeselectiveinwhattheyremember,alteringthenatureorsequenceofeventsovertimeto
suitparticularpoliticalneeds.
c.​Oraltraditionsoftenencodeculturalandreligiousknowledgethatisnotrootedinthematerialworld,andthat
thereforecannotbescientificallyevaluated.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
10.Theearliestevidenceofartisticexpressionoccurs_______yearsago,butbecomeswidespreadonly_______
yearsago.​
a.​40,000/10,000
b.​90,000/40,000
c.​200,000/90,000
d.​500,000/200,000
11.TheoccurrenceoftheUpperPaleolithicinEuropeismarkedbytheappearanceof:​
a.​acomplextechnologyofstone,bone,andantleraswellasart.
b.​animaldomestication.
c.​agriculture.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
12.TheUpperPaleolithic,thelastmajordivisionoftheOldWorldPaleolithic,datesto:​
a.​10,000BCtopresent.
b.​40,000–10,000BC.
c.​90,000–10,000BC.
d.​Noneoftheanswersarecorrect;thetemporaldivisionsoftheOldWorldUpperPaleolithicvary
dramaticallyindifferentregionsoftheOldWorld.
13.Theparadigmthatholdsthathumancultureistheexpressionofunconsciousmodesofthoughtandreasoning,
notablybinaryopposition,is:​
a.​processualism.
b.​postprocessualism.
c.​structuralism.
d.​materialism.
14.WhichofthefollowingistrueoftheinterpretationofUpperPaleolithiccaveart?​
a.​Mostarchaeologistsagreethatcaveartrepresentssympatheticmagic,orritualsinwhichdoingsomethingto
animageproducesthedesiredeffectintherealobject(e.g.,drawingpregnantbisonensuresfertility,or
killingastylizedanimalonthecavewallguaranteeshuntingsuccess).
b.​Mostarchaeologistsagreethatcaveartshouldbeinterpretedwithinthestructuralistparadigm,whereall
symbolsdefinebinaryoppositionssuchasmaleandfemale.
c.​BecausewelackanyassociatedethnographicdatafortheUpperPaleolithic,itisverydifficulttosecurely
interpretthemeaningofsymbolsusedinthisart.
d.​UpperPaleolithiccaveartrepresentstheearliestbeginningsofthehumanabilitytoappreciateartforitsown
aestheticproperties;itisthus“art-for-art’s-sake,”andanimalsdrawnhadnoparticularsymbolicmeaning.
15.Leroi-Gourhan’sinterpretationthatthesymbolsusedinUpperPaleolithiccaveart,includingabstractshapesand
animalfigures,wereultimatelymaleandfemalesymbols:​
a.​waswidelyacceptedbythearchaeologicalcommunityatthetime,andisstillconsideredthemostlikely
interpretationofcavearttoday.
b.​wasbasedonethnographicandethnoarchaeologicalanalogy,madestrongerbythehistoricaltiessharedby
modernEuropeansandtheprehistoricpopulationswhocreatedthecaveart.
c.​providesagoodexampleofhowarchaeologistscanescapetheparadigmwithinwhichtheyareworkingto
generateanobjectiveandunbiasedinterpretationofarchaeologicaldata.
d.​wasmostlikelyinfluencedbyFreudianpsychology,whichwaspopularatthetime.
16.Aritualinwhichanindividualseeksvisionsthroughstarvation,dehydration,andexposure,usedinsomeculturesto
communicatewiththesupernaturalworld,is:​
a.​avisionquest.
b.​shamanism.
c.​totemism.
d.​sympatheticmagic.
17.InUpperPaleolithiccaveart,humansare:​
a.​rarelyrepresented,andwhentheyarerepresentedarepoorlyexecutedcomparedtothemarvelously
depictedanimalfigures.
b.​frequentlyrepresented,andrepresentedinarealisticmanner,similartoanimaldepictions.
c.​representedasdeities,controllingtheplantandanimalworld.
d.​neverrepresented.
18.Anindividualwhohasthepowertocontactthespiritworldthroughtrance,possession,orvisions,andwhouses
thispowertoinfluencetheworldofthelivingis:​
a.​atotem.
b.​ashaman.
c.​anoracle.
d.​Anyoralloftheanswersarecorrect.
19.Lewis-Williamshasarguedthatmuchoftheworld’srockartistheresultofshamanism.Whatisthebasisforhis
argument?​
a.​Heisoperatingwithintheparadigmofstructuralism,whichfrequentlyexplainshumanbehaviorasaresponse
toculturallydictatedsupernaturalneeds.
b.​Heinterpretsthesymbolsdepictedinrockartasrepresentingshamanscontactingthespiritworld;thusthe
explanationforrockartlieswithintherockartitself.
c.​Cross-culturalpsychologicalandneurologicalresearchshowingthatindividualsinatrancegothroughthree
universalstagesofhallucination;rockartrecordsthesestages.
d.​Thereisnorealbasisforhisargument;hearrivedathisconclusionswithoutthenecessarydatatosupport
themandthereforedemonstratesthedangersinherentincognitivearchaeologicalapproaches.
20.WhatisLascauxII?​
a.​TheonlypartofLascauxcavethatiscurrentlyopentothepublic.
b.​ArecentlydiscoveredpassageleadingawayfromthemainchambersatLascaux,andintoanadditional
chambercomplexalsocontainingUpperPaleolithiccaveart.
c.​AnothercavecontainingUpperPaleolithiccaveart,locatedonly200metersfromLascaux,founddecades
aftertheinitialdiscoveryofLascaux.
d.​AveryprecisereplicaoftheHallofBullsfromtherealLascaux,constructedbytheFrenchgovernmentto
limitvisitationandreducedamagetotherealLascaux.
21.HowwasLascauxcavediscovered?​
a.​Accidentally,byschoolboysandalostdog.
b.​ThroughsystematicsurveyoftheDordogneregionofsouthernFrance,insearchofcaveswiththepotential
forUpperPaleolithicart.
c.​Bythelandowner,whofellintoashallowpitanddiscoveredcoldairrisingfromaholeinthepit’sbottom.
d.​Byanavocationalarchaeologistwhohappenedtobehikingintheregion,anddiscoveredartifactsnearthe
cave’sopening.
22.HowhasLewis-WilliamsexplainedthecavepaintingsatLascaux?​
a.​Thepaintingsrepresentedtotems,fromwhichlineagesorclansbelievedthemselvestobedescended.
b.​Thepaintingswereleftbyhuntersseekingtomarktheterritoryastheirown,andprovidedasigntoother
huntersthattheywerenotwelcome.
c.​Thepaintingshadnorealsymbolicmeaning,andwereessentially“art-for-art’ssake,”appreciatedforits
aestheticvaluebutcontaininglittleculturalmeaning.
d.​Thepaintingsarerelatedtoalteredstatesofconsciousness,andultimatelyrepresentUpperPaleolithic
peopleponderingthemeaningoflife.
23.Moderncognitivearchaeologyaimstodoallofthefollowingexcept:​
a.​studytheperception,descriptionandclassificationoftheuniverse.
b.​makeinterpretationsaboutpastcultureswhenthereisnoethnographicdataavailable.
c.​understandpastreligions.
d.​studyaculture’sexpressionofabstractideasinartandwritingsystems.
24.Anyarchaeologyofthemindwillhavemore___________than__________flavorbecausesuchanapproachwill
necessarilyaddressrecoveringmeanings(ratherthanlaw-likestatementsorgeneralizationsabouthumanbehavior.​
a.​postprocessual/processual
b.​processual/postprocessual
c.​objectivereasoning/subjectivereasoning
d.​subjectivereasoning/objectivereasoning
25.Asocialinstitutioncontainingasetofbeliefsaboutsupernaturalbeingsandforcesandone’srelationtothemis
termed​
a.​ritual.
b.​iconography.
c.​religion.
d.​kinship.
26.Thestudyoftheorigin,large-scalestructure,andfutureoftheuniverseistermed​
a.​ritual.
b.​religion.
c.​iconography.
d.​cosmology.
27.​Leroi-Gourhan’smapsof66Frenchcavessuggeststhatcaveelementsclusteredintofourmajorsetsofimagesthat
donotinclude
a.​smallherbivores.
b.​rarespecies.
c.​dangerousanimals.
d.​domesticatedanimals.
28.Ritualsinwhichdoingsomethingtoanimagesofanobjectproducesthedesiredeffectintherealobjectarecalled​
a.​structuralism.
b.​totems.
c.​sympatheticmagic.
d.​religion.
29.Usingsomehistoricalorethnographicinformation,asburgerandMillerdidwithChavinart,isthemostsecureway
togofrom______________to________________.​
a.​meanings/symbols
b.​symbols/meanings
c.​totem/religion
d.​religion/totem
30.Accordingtothetext,whichofthefollowingisnotawayanindividualseeksvisionsonavisionquest?​
a.​Starvation
b.​Dehydration
c.​Exposure
d.​Totems
31.WhichofthefollowingwasNOTpartofDorsetCulture?​
a.​Huntingseals
b.​Ahunter-gathererlifestyle
c.​Subsistencefarming
d.​Ivorycarvings
32.WhymayDorsetCulturehavevanished?​
a.​Disappearanceofseals
b.​Coolingtemperatures
c.​Lossofboatingskills
d.​Warmingtemperatures
33.OnepossiblepurposeofaNeolithicHengewasusedto​
a.​protectfrominvaders.
b.​keepsomethinginside.
c.​storefoodsupplies.
d.​participateinenclosedgames.
34.RamililisoninafirstbelievedthatthestonesatStonehedgewereusedto​
a.​honorthegods.
b.​commemoratethedead.
c.​establishterritorialboundaries.
d.​protectthevulnerable.
35.Mostarchaeologistswouldagreethatrecentadvancesinarchaeologicalmethodsandanalytictechniqueshave
madethestudyofprehistoricsymbolicbehaviorasstraightforwardasthestudyofprehistoricsubsistencestrategies
andtechnology.​
a.True
b.False
36.Alllivingcultureshavesomeformofreligion,andweassumethatprehistoricculturesdidaswell.​
a.True
b.False
37.Manyresearchersarguethatcognitivearchaeologywillbemostsuccessfulwhenhistoricalandethnographic
documentationisunavailable,becausewiththeuseofsuchdata,thearchaeologists’creativityandimaginationare
limited.​
a.True
b.False
38.UpperPaleolithiccaveartisoftenfoundinveryobscureanddifficulttoaccessplacessuchasthedeepestrecesses
ofcaves,stronglysuggestingaconnectionbetweentheartandreligiousritual.​
a.True
b.False
39.UpperPaleolithiccaveartinFranceandSpainreacheditsheightduringtheMagdalenian,thelastmajorcultureof
theEuropeanUpperPaleolithicperiod,datingtobetween16,000and10,000BC.​
a.True
b.False
40.LascauxcaveinsouthernFranceisperhapsthemostfamousofallEuropeancaves,containingmanychambersand
passagewayswithmagnificentcavepaintingsanddatingto17,000yearsago;inordertopreservethecaveandthe
artworkwithinit,itisnowclosedtoregularpublicvisitation.​
a.True
b.False
41.BeneathmanyofthecavepaintingsatLascauxthereisabundantroomforgroupsofpeopletohavegatheredand
participatedinrituals;thecommonoccurrenceofdenseartifactscattersandhearthfeaturesinthislocationstrongly
suggeststhattheydidso.​
a.True
b.False
42.Lewis-Williamssuggeststhatvisionquestsmayhavebeenheldinthedeepestcavespaces.​
a.True
b.False
43.Studyingancientmodesofthoughtrequirestheinterpretationofsymbols,objects,oractsthatbycultural
conventionstandforsomethingelsewithwhichtheyhavenonecessaryconnection.​
a.True
b.False
44.Stonehengewasaplaceofsanctuaryfrominvaders.
a.True
b.False
45.Dorsetpeoplesmayhavelearnedsomehuntingtechniquesfrompolarbears.​
a.True
b.False
46.Whatiscognitivearchaeology?Whyisitoftendifficulttoimplement?​
47.Whataresomeofthepotentialsandlimitationsinvolvedwithattemptinganarchaeologyofthemind?​
48.Whataresymbols?Whatmakesthemsodifficulttointerpretarchaeologically?Whyisitimportanttohavesome
ethnographiccontextwhenattemptingtointerpretthemeaningofsymbols?Whyisethnographicdatasometimes
insufficient?​
49.Whatisreligion?Howarearchaeologistsabletostudyprehistoricreligion?Whatisritual?Whydo
archaeologistsuseritualactstogainanunderstandingofreligion,ratherthanstudyingprehistoricreligiondirectly?​
50.Whatroledooraltraditionsplayinunderstandingprehistory?Whydomanyarchaeologistsargueagainstthe
uncriticalacceptanceoforaltraditionsasexplanationsforwhatoccurredinthepast?WhydomanyNative
Americansplacemorefaithinoralhistorythanarchaeologicaldataforexplainingwhathappenedinthepast?Can
oraltraditionsbeusedinconjunctionwitharchaeologicaldatatoobtainadeeperunderstandingofthepast?​
51.WhyhaveHopewelleffigypipesusedintheHopewellInteractionSpherebeeninterpretedasritualweapons
(atlatls)thatfunctionedinasimilarwaytohistoricpeacepipes?Whyaretheseeffigypipesthoughttohave
functionedtoreduceregionaldifferencesandpromotecontactandcommunicationbetweendiscretegroups?​
52.ChavíniconographydepictsanimalsnativetotheforestsoftheeasternAndeanslopeseveralhundredmilestothe
east,anddoesnotportraythoseanimalsnativetothelocalhighlands.Whathypothesisbestexplainsthelowland
AmazonianelementsofChavíniconography?Howisthishypothesissupported?​
53.DescribetheinterpretationofUpperPaleolithiccaveartas“art-for-art’s-sake.”Whyhavemostarchaeologists
rejectedthisexplanation?Whyhascaveartbeeninterpretedassympatheticmagic?Whataretheproblemswith
thisinterpretation?Howhascaveartbeeninterpretedundertheparadigmofstructuralism?Whatarethe
problemswiththisinterpretation?​
54.HowcanshamanismexplainUpperPaleolithiccaveart,andwhyisthisexplanationmoregroundedinmiddlerange
theorythanotherexplanations?Howhascross-culturalpsychologicalandneurologicalresearchbolstereda
shamanisticinterpretationofcaveart?Doesthishelpusunderstandwhattheimagesmeanttothepeoplewho
producedthem?Whyorwhynot?​
55.DescribethecaveofLascaux.Howwasitdiscovered?Whatartworkispresentinthecave,andwhereisit
located?Howhasthisartworkbeeninterpreted?Howhasthelayoutoftheartworkandthecaveitselfbeen
interpreted?Whatcanallofthistellusaboutthepeoplewhocreatedthecaveart?​