1.Arelativedateis:​
a.​adateexpressedasaspecificunitofscientificmeasurement,suchasdays,years,centuries,ormillennia.
b.​adateexpressedrelativetoanother(e.g.,earlier,later,morerecent,etc.)ratherthaninabsoluteterms.
c.​adatebasedontheoccurrenceofdistinctivefossilassemblagesindistinctstrata.
d.​nolongerusefulforarchaeology;absolutedatesarenecessaryinordertoprovideameaningfulinterpretation
ofanassemblage.
2.Theindexfossilconcept:​
a.​allowswidelyseparatedstratatobecorrelatedandassignedtothesametimeperiodiftheycontainthesame
fossils.
b.​istheideathatstratacontainingsimilarfossilassemblagesareofsimilarages.
c.​enablesarchaeologiststocharacterizeanddatestratawithinsitesusingdistinctiveartifactformsthatresearch
showstobediagnosticofaparticularperiodoftime.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
3.Theindexfossilconceptwasintroducedtoarchaeologyby:​
a.​OscarMontelius.
b.​A.E.Douglas.
c.​WillardLibby.
d.​JeffreyDean.
4.Arelativedatingmethodthatordersartifactsbasedontheassumptionthatoneculturalstyleslowlyreplacesan
earlierstyleovertimeis:​
a.​dendrochronology.
b.​theindexfossilconcept.
c.​seriation.
d.​theLawofSuperposition.
5.Seriationdiffersfromtheindexfossilconceptinthat:​
a.​insteadofrelyingonthepresenceorabsenceofdistinctivekindsofartifacts,itreliesonchangesinthe
frequenciesofartifactsorstyles.
b.​insteadofrelyingonchangesinthefrequenciesofartifactsorstyles,itreliesonthepresenceorabsenceof
distinctivekindsofartifacts.
c.​seriationappliesonlytopotterystyles,whiletheindexfossilconceptcanapplytoallartifactfacts.
d.​Noneoftheanswers;seriationisthesamethingastheindexfossilconcept.
6.Ifyouwereinterestedinexaminingtrendsinpotterystylechangethroughtimewhichofthefollowingmethods
wouldyouuse?​
a.​Seriation
b.​Reversestratigraphy
c.​Potassium-argondating
d.​Argon-argondating
7.ArchaeologistsknowthatFolsompointsdatetobetween10,300and10,900radiocarbonyearsago.Ifan
archaeologistfindsaFolsompointinasite,andassumesthatthesitedatestobetween10,300and10,900years
ago,thearchaeologistisusingwhichofthefollowinginhisorherreasoning?​
a.​Seriation
b.​Trappedchargedating
c.​Relativedating
d.​Theindexfossilconcept
8.WhatwasrevolutionaryaboutNelson’s1914excavationmethodologyatSanCristobalPuebloinNewMexico?​
a.​Nelsonwasawareoftheeffectofscreenmeshsizeonartifactrecovery,andadjustedhisscreeningmethods
accordingly.
b.​Nelsonusedthenewlydiscoveredradiocarbondatingtechniquetoprovideanabsolutedateforthe
occupationofthepueblo.
c.​Nelsonwasthefirsttousedendrochronology,andwasabletoobtainabsolutedatesfortheconstructionof
thepueblo.
d.​Nelsonexcavatedinarbitrarystratigraphiclevelsanddevelopedamasterceramicsequencewhichallowed
forchronologicalcontrolthroughtheindexfossilmethod.
9.Seriationdiagramsresemblebattleshipsbecause:​
a.​anartifactorstylecatchesonslowlyinthebeginning,thenbecomespopularandwidespread,andthen
graduallyfallsoutoffavor.
b.​thepopularityofanartifactorstyletendstoremainconstantthroughtime.
c.​thepopularityofanartifactorstylefluctuateswildlythroughtime,showingnoparticularpattern.
d.​theyfollowarelativechronologicalsequence.
10.Dendrochronologyprovidesa(n)_________measureoftime,whiletheLawofSuperpositionallowsfora(n)
________measureoftime.​
a.​relative/absolute
b.​calibrated/corrected
c.​long-term/exact
d.​absolute/relative
11.Whenfacedwithachoiceofwoodtouseintree-ringdating,whichofthefollowingwouldyieldthebestresults?​
a.​Cottonwood
b.​Sagebrush
c.​Pine
d.​Alltypesofwoodareequallyuseful,makingtree-ringdatingsuchapowerfultool.
12.Whodevelopedthetechniqueofdendrochronology,ortreeringdating?​
a.​NelsNelson
b.​OscarMontelius
c.​A.E.Douglas
d.​WillardLibby
13.Treeshavealternatingdarkandlightrings.Thedarkringsare:​
a.​ayear’slatesummer/fallgrowth.
b.​ayear’sspring/summergrowth.
c.​aresultoffirescarring.
d.​aresultofquickcellgrowthinclimaticallyfavorableconditions.
14.Treeringdatingispossiblebecause:​
a.​variabletreeringwidthspreserveinformationaboutpastclimaticchangeandcanbefitintoalong-term
chronologicalsequence.
b.​treeringscansimplybecountedandsubtractedfromthepresenttodeterminethecalendardateofthetree’s
death.
c.​alltreesrespondtoclimaticvariabilityinthesameway.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
15.Atreeringsequenceisonlyusefulintheregioninwhichitwasdevelopedbecause:​
a.​treesrespondtoclimateandclimateisregionallyvariable.
b.​researcherstendnottosharetheirdatawithoneanother,andthuseachareaneedsitsownspecialist.
c.​treeringsarepartiallyconditionedbysoilchemistrywhichcanbehighlyvariableoversmalldistances.
d.​inordertobeuseful,treeringsmustbecalibratedusingradiocarbondating,andcalibrationcurvesare
regionallyspecific.
16.Whatexactlydoesdendrochronologyattempttodate?​
a.​Theyearwoodwaslastburned.
b.​Theyearthatthetreewasthehealthiest,thusprovidingasignalofclimaticamicability.
c.​Theyearatreewasusedintobuildastructure.
d.​Theyearatreewascutordied.
17.Whichofthefollowingdatingmethodsprovidesthemostprecisedate?​
a.​Potassium-argon
b.​Radiocarbon
c.​Dendrochronology
d.​Thermoluminescence
18.Theradiocarbondatingtechniquewasdiscoveredby:​
a.​NelsNelson.
b.​OscarMontelius.
c.​A.E.Douglas.
d.WillardLibby.
19.Whichcarbonisotopeistherarest?​
a.​12C
b.​13C
c.​14C
d.​Noneoftheanswers;carbonisotopesexistinthesameproportions.
20.Whichofthefollowingdatingtechniqueshelpstobridgethedatinggapbetweenradiocarbonandpotassiumargon
dating?​
a.​Thermoluminescence
b.​AMSdating
c.​Argon-argon
d.​Noneoftheanswers;thereisnogapasradiocarbonandpotassium-argondatethesameagerangeof
materials.
21.Organismsthatobtaincarbonfromasourcethatisdepletedorenrichedin14Crelativetotheatmospheremay
returnagesthatareconsiderablyolderoryoungerthantheyactuallyare.Thisisdueto:​
a.​DeVrieseffect.
b.​thereservoireffect.
c.​theeffectofdifferentphotosyntheticpathways.
d.​problemswithcalibratingtheradiocarboncurve.
22.Factorsthatcanaffecttheutilityofradiocarbondatinginclude:​
a.​contamination(e.g.,bycoal).
b.​atmosphericfluctuationsof14C.
c.​thelengthoftimewoodisusefulafteritdies(“oldwood”problem).
d.Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
23.Theradiocarbondate2850+/-40BPsuggeststhatthereisa66%chancethatthetrueage:​
a.​liesbetween2810and2890BP.
b.​is2830BP.
c.​liesbetween2810and2850BP.
d.​liesbetween2850and2890BP.
24.Afterexcavatingahearthfeatureyousubmitorganicmaterialfromthehearthforaconventionalradiocarbondate.
Theresultcomesbackasfollows:Beta-33003,3500+/-100radiocarbonyearsBP.Youknowthat:​
a.​betarepresentstheLaboratory.
b.​3500representstheyearsbeforepresent.
c.​+/-100representsthestandarderror.
d.​Alloftheanswersarecorrect.
25.​Plantsthatareofsimilaragesandthatgrewinthesamesoilcouldproducedifferentradiocarbonagesdueto:
a.​useofdifferentphotosyntheticpathways.
b.​thereservoireffect.
c.​DeVrieseffect.
d.​problemswithcalibratingtheradiocarboncurve.
26.Anadvantageoftheacceleratormassspectrometer(AMS)methodofradiocarbondatingis:​
a.​althoughnotaspreciseasstandarddatingmethodsthatcountbetadecays,AMSdatingislesssubjectto
problemscausedbyatmosphericfluctuationsin14C.
b.​AMSdatingismuchcheaperthanstandarddatingmethodsthatcountbetadecays.
c.​AMSdatingrequiresmuchsmallercarbonsamplesthanstandarddatingmethods.
d.​AMSdatesareeasiertocalibratethanstandardradiocarbondates.
27.Radiocarbondatingcannotreliablydateanythingolderthanabout:​
a.​25,000years.
b.​45,000years.
c.​125,000years.
d.​245,000years.
28.RadiocarbondatingwasabletodeterminethattheShroudofTurin:​
a.​wasamodernforgery,createdsometimeinthe20thcentury.
b.​datestothetimeofChrist.
c.datestomedievaltimes,betweenAD1260and1390.
d.​wascreatedlongbeforethetimeofChrist,althoughtheexactdateisuncertainbecauseitliesatthepractical
limitofradiocarbondating.
29.Whichofthefollowingisnotatrappedchargedatingmethod?​
a.​Acceleratormassspectrometry
b.​Thermoluminescence
c.​Opticallystimulatedluminescence
d.​Electronspinresonance
30.Intrappedchargedatingmethods,theamountofgammaradiationemittedbysedimentsismeasuredby:​
a.​opticallystimulatedluminescence.
b.​thermoluminescence.
c.​adosimeter.
d.​betadecay.
31.​Adifferencebetweenopticallystimulatedluminescence(OSL)andthermoluminescence(TL)is:
a.​OSLdatesthelasttimesedimentwasexposedtolight,whileTLdatesthelasttimeartifactswereheated.
b.​OSLdatesthelasttimeartifactswereheated,whileTLdatesthelasttimesedimentwasexposedtolight.
c.​OSLreliesonradiocarbondatingwhileTLisatrappedchargedatingmethod.
d.​OSLisatrappedchargedatingmethodwhileTLreliesonradiocarbondating.
32.Electronspinresonanceisatrappedchargedatingmethodprimarilyusedtodate:​
a.​boneorganicmatter.
b.​toothenamel.
c.​volcanicash.
d.​thelasttimesedimentswereexposedtolight.
33.Ifthedateofahistoricsiteisundocumented,archaeologistsmightusewhichofthefollowingtechniquestoprovide
adate?​
a.​Pipestemdating
b.​Terminuspostquemdating
c.​Radiocarbondating
d.​PipestemdatingandTerminuspostquemdating
34.IchtuckneeBlueonWhiteceramicsweremanufacturedfromAD1600to1650.Excavatingahistoricsitein
Georgia,youfindbitsofbrokenIchtuckneeBlueonWhiteplates.Therefore,youknowthattheterminuspost
quemdateonthissiteis:​
a.​AD1650.
b.​AD1625.
c.​AD1600.
d.​sometimeafterAD1650.
35._______________evidenceusuallyprovidesdatesforhistoricalsites.​
a.​Geomorphological
b.​Faunal
c.​Documentary
d.​Floral
36.Absolutedatesareabsoluteinthatthey​
a.​canonlysayhowmucholderoryoungeronesiteorartifactisthananother.
b.​placessitesinrelativeorder.
c.​providesspecificagesorageranges.
d.​cannotbedisputed.
37.Argon-argondatesvolcanicrock,especiallyash,inlayersthatare_______________yearsold.​
a.​thousandsof
b.​tensofthousandsof
c.​hundredsofthousandsof
d.​millionsof
38.Whendocumentaryevidenceisnotavailable,knownagesofartifacttypesaregeneratedtocreateage-rangeor
medianagesforhistoricalfeaturesorsitesusing​
a.​TPQ.
b.​meanceramicagedates.
c.​radiocarbondates.
d.​TPQandmeanceramicagedates.
39.Datingtechniquestellus_____________aboutculturalactivities.​
a.​everythingweneedtoknow
b.​nothingdirectly
c.​nothingatall
d.howtospeculate
40.Wecanexpectthatcontinualadvancesindatingmethodswill​
a.​permitagreaterunderstandingofthechronologyofthepast.
b.​confusescholarsandleadtodisputesamongtheacademiccommunity.
c.​helpcreatenewparadigmsandnewwaysofunderstandingthepast.
d.​permitagreaterunderstandingofthechronologyofthepast,andcreatenewparadigmsandnewwaysof
understandingthepast.
41.Whileusefulingeology,theindexfossilconcepthaslittlearchaeologicalutility.​
a.True
b.False
42.Themosteffectivetechniquetodateorganicmaterialolderthan75,000yearsisradiocarbondating.​
a.True
b.False
43.OnestrengthoftheAMSdatingtechniqueisthatitrequiresamuchsmallersampleoforganicmaterialthanneeded
inthestandardradiocarbontechnique.
a.True
b.False
44.Radiocarbondatingisusefulworldwidebecausetheamountofatmospheric14Chasremainedconstantthrough
time.​
a.True
b.False
45.Ifanarchaeologistusesthermoluminescencetodatestonetoolsthatappeartohavebeenburned,thedatewill
indicatewhenthetoolswerelastburned,butnotnecessarilyhowlongagothetoolsweremade.​
a.True
b.False
46.Youhaveexcavatedasite,buthaverecoverednoorganicremains.Theonlymaterialrecoveredfromthesiteis
pottery.UsingtheArgon-Argontechniquewouldbethebestwaytodatethesite.​
a.True
b.False
47.Atanextremelyoldsite(greaterthan500,000years),suchastheolderlevelsatOlduvaiGorge,thebesttypeof
datingtechniquetousewouldbePotassium-ArgonorArgon–Argon.​
a.True
b.False
48.The“battleship”shapethatthetextmentionswhendiscussingseriationreferstochangesinthe‘popularity’ofa
morphologicaltype.​
a.True
b.False
49.AtreeringsequencedevelopedinthesouthwesternUnitedStateswouldbeequallyasapplicableinaregionsuch
astheMediterranean.​
a.True
b.False
50.Becausedifferentplantsusedifferentphotosyntheticpathwaysthatdiscriminateagainstcarbon-13indifferent
ways,plantsthatarethesameagecanproducedifferentradiocarbonages.​
a.True
b.False
51.Potassium-argonorargon-argondatingwouldbeusefultechniquesfordatingavolcanicformationcontaining
hominidfossilremains.​
a.True
b.False
52.Historicarchaeologistscanusethelengthofoldclaypipestodeterminetheageofahistoricsite.​
a.True
b.False
53.Discussthedifferencesbetweenrelativeandabsolutedatingtechniques,givingexamplesofeach.Inwhatsituations
arerelativedatesuseful?​
54.Whatistheindexfossilconcept?Howisitrelevanttoarchaeology?Giveanexampleofhowtheindexfossil
concepthasbeenusedinarchaeology.​
55.Whatisseriation?Howarearchaeologicalsitesdatedusingseriation?Bespecific.​
56.Whatistreeringdating,ordendrochronology?Howdoesitwork?Whatkindsoftreesareusefulfor
dendrochronology?Howarearchaeologicalsitesdatedwithtreeringdating?Whatdoesdendrochronology
actuallydate?​
57.Howdoesradiocarbondatingwork?Howis14Cformed?WhatistheLibbyhalf-life?Whatmaterialscanbe
datedwiththeradiocarbontechnique?Aresomematerialsbetterthanothers?Ifso,whichonesandwhy?Whatis
actuallydatedwiththeradiocarbontechnique?​
58.Discussthetwowaysinwhichlabsgenerateradiocarbondates.Whataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesof
each?Whatisthepracticallimitofradiocarbondating?​
59.Whatisthe“oldwoodproblem?”Whyisitaprobleminarchaeology?​
60.Whymustradiocarbondatesbecalibrated?Howaretheycalibrated?​
61.Whataretrappedchargedatingmethods?Whatarethedifferencesbetweenthermoluminescence,optically
stimulatedluminescence,andelectronspinresonance?Whattypesofmaterialscaneachmethoddate?Whatis
actuallybeingdatedwitheachmethod?Whataretheagelimitsofeachofthesetechniques?​
62.Describethepotassium-argonandargon-argondatingmethods.Howarethesetechniquesdifferent?Whatdo
thesemethodsactuallydate?Inwhatsituationsarethesetechniquesuseful?Whataretheagelimitsofeachofthese
techniques?​
63.​Iftheageofahistoricarchaeologicalsiteisnotdocumented,howcanarchaeologistsdatethesite?Discusspipe
stemdating,terminuspostquemdating,andmeanceramicdatesinyouranswer.