01
True or false
1 point
In an undisturbed stratigraphic sequence, a lower deposit was generally laid down before the deposit directly above it.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
1 Relative Chronology and Archaeological Sequencing Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 1 Relative Chronology and Archaeological Sequencing, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Choose one
1 point
An excavation team uses a Harris matrix to organize the relationships among contexts. Which conclusion about the matrix is justified?
- A
It assigns a calendar date in years to every context.
- B
It diagrams relationships among individual contexts to organize their relative sequence.
- C
It determines how long each artifact was used.
- D
It proves that all objects found in one context were deposited simultaneously.
03
Fill in the blank
1 point
A Harris matrix records each stratigraphic as a separate unit and links contexts according to relationships such as “earlier than.”
04
Written response
1 point
An archaeologist groups artifacts according to recurring attributes such as shape, manufacturing technique, and decoration. What method is being used?
05
Choose one
1 point
A pit cuts layer A, is filled with layer B, and is later sealed by layer C. Which sequence is supported by these relationships?
- A
Layer B fill → layer A → layer C
- B
Layer C → layer A → layer B fill
- C
Layer A → layer B fill → layer C
- D
Layer A → layer C → layer B fill
06
True or false
1 point
Cross-dating can help relate two archaeological sequences without providing a calendar date when neither sequence has an independently dated anchor.
- A
True
- B
False
07
Written response
1 point
What is the term for an object that entered an older archaeological layer from above?
08
Choose all
1 point
A frequency-seriation pattern seems to order several pottery assemblages, but the archaeologist wants to assess possible distortions. Which factors identified as limitations could affect the pattern? Select all that apply.
- A
Objects may have remained in use for a long time.
- B
The method always assigns an exact calendar date to each assemblage.
- C
Objects may have been traded between communities.
- D
Styles may have differed between regions.
09
Choose one
1 point
A distinctive pottery type occurs in a securely ordered sequence at Site 1 and also occurs in a context at Site 2. What is the most defensible inference, assuming the type is correctly identified and the contexts are reliable?
- A
The second site must have the same calendar dates as the first site.
- B
The pottery type may help relate the second site's context to the known relative sequence.
- C
Every artifact at the second site must have been deposited at the same time.
- D
The second site's context must be older than every context at the first site.
10
Fill in the blank
1 point
A radiocarbon result estimates the age of the , not automatically the age of every artifact or event associated with it.
11
Choose all
1 point
Stratigraphy and artifact comparisons suggest conflicting relative sequences. Which steps are appropriate before drawing a conclusion? Select all that apply.
- A
Reassess whether the contexts have been disturbed or mixed.
- B
Check whether the artifacts or patterns were correctly identified.
- C
Assume the method that produces the most precise calendar date must be right.
- D
Review the assumptions behind the comparisons.
12
Open ended
1 point
At a site, a house floor covers natural soil, a posthole cuts the floor, and a later layer seals both. Give the supported order of these events and explain what this sequence does and does not establish about their dates.
13
Choose one
1 point
An artifact is found near a fossil in a deposit. What conclusion is justified from this association alone?
- A
The artifact and fossil were necessarily deposited at the same time.
- B
The artifact must be younger than the fossil.
- C
Their association may help comparison, but contemporaneity is not guaranteed by proximity alone.
- D
The artifact provides an exact calendar date for the deposit.
14
Choose one
1 point
In an undisturbed sequence, what can the position of two deposits generally tell an archaeologist?
- A
The lower deposit was generally laid down before the deposit above it.
- B
The upper deposit was generally laid down before the deposit below it.
- C
The deposits must have formed at the same time.
- D
Their order reveals the exact time elapsed between their formation.
15
Written response
1 point
What is the name of the diagram that organizes individual archaeological contexts and their stratigraphic relationships?
16
Choose one
1 point
A pit cuts through layer A and is later filled. Which relative sequence must be true?
- A
Layer A was deposited after the pit was cut and filled.
- B
Layer A predates the pit cut and its fill.
- C
Layer A and the pit fill must be contemporary.
- D
The pit fill must predate the cut that created the pit.
17
True or false
1 point
True or false: An older artifact redeposited in a later context is an intrusive object.
- A
True
- B
False
18
Written response
1 point
What is the name of the seriation method that orders assemblages by comparing the proportions of artifact styles across contexts?
19
Choose one
1 point
An archaeologist groups artifacts by recurring shape and decoration, without using their proportions across contexts to order assemblages. Which method is being applied?
- A
Cross-dating, because it links an object to a sequence at another site.
- B
Stratigraphy, because it orders deposits by physical relationships.
- C
Typology, because it classifies artifacts using recurring attributes.
- D
Radiocarbon dating, because it estimates the age of suitable once-living material.
20
Choose one
1 point
A distinctive object is found near a deposit an archaeologist is trying to order. What is the soundest conclusion about the association?
- A
Their association must be evaluated; proximity alone does not prove contemporaneous deposition.
- B
They must have been deposited at the same time because they were found near each other.
- C
The nearby object automatically provides a calendar date for the deposit.
- D
Their proximity proves that the context has not been disturbed.
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