Attention Class! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fossil

It may surprise you, but fossils are more than just bones that have turned to stone. They can also include impressions left by plants, footprints, shells, microbes, and even feces, that have undergone a chemical process through time which preserved them.

People who study fossils are called paleontologists. While fossils must be at least 10,000 years old to be classified as such, the oldest known specimens are approximately 3.48 billion years old.

So you can see that a person who wants to be an archaeologist has many different specialties to consider as they further their study in the field. While an archaeologist studies the remains of past by uncovering sites, he may well uncover fossils, which requires a more specific expertise.

Answer: Grid system

Once an area has been excavated, it is forever changed, so it is important to record exactly where the treasures have been uncovered. A fundamental skill for an archaeologist, making a grid system simply requires string and a ruler once it has been determined where items at the site may be located.

After establishing where artifacts might be found, a site datum point, the point from which all measurements are taken, must be established. Then two perpendicular axes that intersect the datum point are drawn, which then form the basis of the grid, a uniform system of squares that are all the same size. Each square is assigned a number at the site and on a map.

As an archaeologist uncovers the site and makes discoveries, it is important to note the exact place where items were located, as it may be important to the forming of an hypothesis about the site. For example, items found in the top layer of the grid, would presumably be newer than items found five inches under.

Answer: Field notes

It is extremely important for archaeologists to keep accurate, detailed field notes while working at a site. The information should include date and time, what was discovered and where, who participated in the specific dig, as well as a detailed description of the item. While some archaeologists may prefer to include a drawing of the item, photography will also help to preserve its appearance, as well as its place in the grid. An archaeologist may think they will remember a particular find, however, the truth is that people may forget their conversations, observations, and reflections over time, and it is best to have these written down.

Howard Carter was a well known archaeologist who discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922. Luckily he was able to photograph his discoveries before they were moved and as they were individually studied, but it is also known that he used a nearby tomb as his laboratory, as well as his Egyptian home, where he wrote detailed field notes concerning what he found. This process took almost ten years! His hand written notes concerning the dig can still be examined.

Answer: Back dirt

Archaeologists must be careful, patient workers. Moving dirt and sediments is NOT accomplished with bulldozers or even large shovels. The site must be cleared painstakingly, with trowels and brushes in most circumstances. The soil that is uncovered is studied, and is shifted through a shaker screen, which has 1/4" mesh that comes in handy when making sure that nothing goes unnoticed.

Once it has been determined that the sediments do not contain artifacts and have no importance to the excavation, they become back dirt. Over time back dirt is used to fill in test pits that did not yield any finds. This process is called backfilling.

Answer: Artifact

The discovery of an artifact takes careful study, as it must be determined that it is not an ecofact, which comes from organic materials like plant remains or bones that have not been modified, or a feature, such as a wall, that is not portable.

Artifacts represent a wide variety of objects, such as stone tools, jewelry, weapons, bones that have been modified into tools, and ceramic jars; the list can go on and on! Once an artifact has been found, it is important to note the archaeological context in which it was discovered. Was it found in what is thought to be a tomb? Was it found in the garbage of someone's home? This information must sometimes be inferred by the archaeologist.

Answer: Dendrochronology

We all have noticed that tree rings display definite patterns, based on weather and climatic conditions; each ring represents a year of growth. Scientists in the northern hemisphere have been able to determine the age of objects made of wood that go back 13,910 years. The rings can be cross dated to make accurate dating charts.

Now it must be noted that some species of trees are easier to study than others. The oak tree has proven to be a reliable species for dating, as it reliably produces tree rings every year. Found in the southwestern part of the United States, the bristlecone pine is also used for dating purposes, as it can live up to 4,800 years.

It must be said, however, that finding wooden objects does present its own headaches to an archaeologist. First, they must known something about dendrochronology - yet another specific subject that may require study. Next, wood does not always survive the centuries. There may not been enough of an object left to effectively date in this manner. In addition they must worry about whether the object was made immediately after the tree was harvested, or if the wood laid around for awhile or was even reused after its original purpose was no longer needed.

In conclusion, while it is a good idea for an archaeologist to know how dendrochronology works, it is not the only method used for dating discoveries at archaeological sites. There is more to know!

Answer: Knapping

Also called flintknapping, this method has been used for centuries to make tools and weapons. Typically materials like flint, obsidian, or chert have been struck to form a desired shape.

Archaeologists used to believe that early knappers struck a core stone until it was the shape they needed for the tool or weapon that was being constructed. Today some think that the flakes that fell from the core stone as it was being struck were also used. I once saw a demonstration where a knapper struck a core stone and picked up one of the resulting flakes, using it to skin a newly-killed deer. The flake produced a sharp and useful tool without much work!

Of course, once humans learned to use and manufacture metals, knapping became a bit of a lost art. To archaeologists, however, the way in which tools and weapons were designed and made can help determine the age of their finds. Modern estimates postulate that knapping techniques date back to approximately 2.5 million years ago.

Answer: Grave goods

Oh, to make this sort of discovery! Grave goods presumably helped the person on his quest to find the afterlife by offering a sacrifice to make deities more benevolent. Once the afterlife was found, grave goods were used by the deceased to make his existence there more comfortable. This means that grave goods were typically votive offerings made for religious purposes, or ordinary everyday objects like food, jewelry, or clothing.

While it is difficult to bypass examples of ancient Egyptian grave goods to illustrate this term, it must be noted that some historians believe that even the Neanderthals intentionally engaged in this practice; with burials that date back to 130,000 years ago, the humanness of the species becomes apparent when there is evidence that garlands of flowers were placed over the body, which was buried with other grave goods as well.

Answer: BC

Archaeologists want to assign dates to their discoveries, and there are a variety of techniques to help them do so. The most basic information to remember, however, is the difference between the abbreviations BC and AD.

While some historians worldwide find the reasoning behind this a bit off putting, the birth of Christ was used centuries ago to align the modern calendar. Events that happened before his birth - in presumably 1 AD - were labeled as BC, which means Before Christ. Today the abbreviation BCE, meaning Before the Common Era, is also used. Even though it does not mention Christ, his birth is still the reference point used to indicate that the modern era has begun. Some get around this connotation altogether by using BP, or Before Present. This can become extremely confusing as the present changes every year! And - one must also know that the baseline date for this method is 1950!

AD, on the other hand, is translated as "Anno Domini", or the Year of Our Lord, and not After Death, which would cause an inaccuracy of 33 years on the calendar. In other words, it is based on the year that Christ is believed to have been born. It's important to note that, with using this system, the calendar goes from 1 BC to 1 AD; there is no year zero. To get around this reference to the importance of Christ, some people use the abbreviation CE, which means Common Era. His birth, however, is still the base line used for this system.

Answer: Tell

If you have been wondering how archaeologists find places to carry out their excavations, now you know at least one way! A tell is a mound that has been formed over the centuries by constant settlement, abandonment, and resettlement. This is especially true of some locations in the Middle East. Many times people would abandon a site for some reason - say conquest, for example - and then later people would arrive and begin rebuilding.

Jericho in Jordan is a good example of a tell; in fact, it is also called Tell es-Sultan, and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world. For over 10,000 years, people have come and gone, leaving their cultural debris behind. Archaeologists working at the site have identified 23 layers of the settlement, ranging from Neolithic times to the Byzantine Era. The area is blessed with a fresh water spring, which attracted resettlement over time.