| Digging Into Archaeology |
| #1 |
What is 'archaeology'? |
Archaeology is the study of ancient human behavior. |
| #2 |
Identify 3 different types of archaeologists, and explain what they study. |
Various Answers (See pre-workshop reading) |
| #3 |
What can an archaeologist assume about artifacts found in the same context? |
The assemblage of artifacts found in the same context (layer of soil) are likely from the same time period. |
| #4 |
Explain the difference between a site and a quadrat. |
A site is the large area in which archaeologist works (i.e. a specific mountain), whereas the quadrat is the small, rectangular plot of land in which the archaeologist digs. |
| #5 |
What can an archaeologist infer about a person or people who lived in an area based on the objects they find? If an archaeologist were to begin excavating at the current site of your house in the year 2515, what might they be able to infer about your life by evaluating the objects they find? |
Various Answers - Archaeologists can make inferences about a person's values, interests, culture, historical time period, etc. |
| Evaluating Primary and Secondary Sources |
| #1 |
What is a 'primary source'? |
A document, physical object, or individual, whcih was wrriten/created/presented during the time under study. A primary source was present during an experience or time period and offers an inside view of a particular event. |
| #2 |
What is a 'secondary source'? |
A source that was created later by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you're researching. |
| #3 |
Identify THREE features of a reliable website. |
Various Answers - Same information is available on other sites, author credentials are provided and appropriate, website has been updated recently, etc. |
| #4 |
Identify TWO 'red flags' that might make you question a website's reliability. |
Various Answers - Website is outdated, no author information is provided, the information provided on the website is not available on any other source. |
| #5 |
Why does a Six Flags New England park map look different than a driving map of Connecticut? What features might the driving map have that the Six Flags map does not? |
Various Answers |
| Understanding Historical Perspective |
| #1 |
What is 'perspective'? How does it relate to the study of history? |
a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. As historians, we must remember that there are many perspectives and accounts of any given event. In order to gain a complete understanding of the past, we should seek to examine many different perspectives. |
| #2 |
Consider the American Revolution (American colonists v. British army). How might historical perspective influence how this event is taught differently in American schools than in British schools? |
While Americans view this event as incredibly important, as it led to the birth of the United States, it is just a small, far less important event in the context of all of British history. American history classes tend to spend months learning about the American Revolution, while it is only barely mentioned in British history textbooks. |
| #3 |
What can we infer about the values of American society in the 1950s based on the Coca Cola advertisements we viewed? |
In the 1950s, Americans valued family. Women were expected to stay at home, while children were expected to attend school and social events. The Coca Cola ad would also suggest that people wanted to be happy, as the individuals drinking coke are constantly smiling. |
| #4 |
How does the 'spinning dancer' illusion illustrate the concept of historical perspective? |
While we were all watching the same 'event', each of us saw it differently. If we spent time really trying, we were able to see the other perpsective. |
| #5 |
What inferences can a historian make from a photograph? What limitations do photographs have? |
Various Answers |
| Miscellaneous |
| #1 |
What can an archaeologist learn from the stratigraphy of a quadrat? |
The stratigraphy is the layers of earth within a quadrat. By looking at the layers and the artifacts they contain, archaeologists can determine how many groups of people have lived in a specific area and can also make hypotheses about how long ago they lived there. |
| #2 |
Identify two different ways by which archaeological sites are selected. |
1 - Accidental discovery during highway construction, quarrying, etc.; 2 - Nature (earthquakes); 3 - Deliberate search of an area where artifacts are believed to exist. |
| #3 |
What is a 'context' in the archaeological field? |
A specific layer of soil |
| #4 |
Identify a situation for which YOU are a primary source. Provide evidence to support your answer. |
Various Answers (See definition of primary source.) |
| #5 |
Identify a situation for which YOU are a secondary source. Provide evidence to support your answer. |
Various Answers (See definition of secondary source) |
