Anthropology 210: Exam 1 Study Guide

Spring, 2019

The exam is a mix of multiple choice, matching, and agree/disagree questions. There are 50 questions, each of
which is worth two points. Remember to bring the BLUE SCANTRON sheet. This is the full-page one, not the
green half-page one. They’re available at the book store for less than a dollar each. Also bring a pencil!

General guidance
The exam covers book chapters 1-4, 15, and 16, and lectures 1-3. There will be questions from book chapters and
from lectures. Don’t worry about things like which archeologist dug where. Rather, focus on the important ideas
and developments in theory and technique – the how and why of archeology.

Terms to Study
Artifact High-level Theory Resistivity
Antiquarian Paradigm Ground Penetrating Radar
Midden Processual Paradigm Lidar
Stratigraphy Post-processual Paradigm Context
Culture History Systems Theory Provenience
New Archaeology Feature Datum
Archaeology Archaeological Site Arbitrary Level
Culture Projectile Point Natural Level
Science Settlement Pattern Test Unit
Scientific Method Settlement System Water Screening
Hypothesis Sampling Flotation
Inductive Reasoning Systematic Sample Matrix
Deductive Reasoning Random Sample Cultural Resource Management
Theory Stratified Random Sample Integrity
Low-level Theory Shovel Test Significance
Mid-level Theory Remote Sensing NAGPRA

Specific guidance
 Study how archeology has changed over time, from antiquarianism to modern scientific practice, and what
ideas has it borrowed from other disciplines, e.g., uniformitarianism.
 Study how European and American archeology differ to each other.
 Study the differences between the New Archeology, Processual Archeology, and Post-processual
Archeology.
 Study how archeology is a scientific discipline
o What is science?
o What is the scientific method?
o What are paradigms, theories, hypotheses, inferences, etc.?
 Study how archeology is practiced today
o Research Archeology versus Cultural Resource Management
 Study archeological field methods
o What kinds of archeological context are there?
o What is “sampling” and what are the ways to do it?
o What is a datum?
o What is provenience?
o What are arbitrary levels versus natural levels and why would we use one or the other?
o What are the different major classes of artifacts we’re likely to find?
 Study how archeologists organize cultural/temporal/geographic data, e.g., into Components, Phases,
Traditions, and Horizons
o What is each of these?
o What are they intended to do?