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Free Practice Quiz Question List

2 Excavation Units and Field Methods Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 2 Excavation Units and Field Methods, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions
01
True or false
1 point

True or false: Any change in soil color within an excavation unit should be recorded as a separate depositional event.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

02
True or false
1 point

True or false: In an archaeological site, a deeper deposit is always older than every deposit above it.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

03
Choose one
1 point

A team has recorded several context relationships in a stratigraphic matrix. What should it do to check that the matrix is reliable?

  1. A

    Use the matrix instead of field notes once the relationships have been recorded.

  2. B

    Check the matrix against field records, drawings, and photographs.

  3. C

    Update the matrix only after all excavation at the site is finished.

  4. D

    Use photographs as the sole record of context relationships.

04
Choose one
1 point

A grid square contains two distinct deposits and a built surface. How should an excavation team distinguish the unit from the contexts?

  1. A

    Treat the grid square as one context because each unit contains only one archaeological layer.

  2. B

    Record the unit as the spatial area and document each distinct deposit or feature within it as a context.

  3. C

    Divide the unit into a separate context for every artifact found.

  4. D

    Use the unit boundary to determine the order in which deposits formed.

05
Choose one
1 point

A deposit has no reliably visible internal boundaries, so the team begins excavating measured increments. A clear boundary then appears. What is the best response?

  1. A

    Treat each increment as a distinct ancient layer, whether or not a boundary is visible.

  2. B

    Continue through the deposit at a uniform thickness even if a clear boundary appears.

  3. C

    Use measured increments for control, record depth and reference point, and revise the strategy if a clear boundary appears.

  4. D

    Avoid recording depth because the increments are not natural layers.

06
Choose one
1 point

A team needs to document the depth, shape, and fill sequence of a feature before removing it. Which approach may help reveal these details?

  1. A

    Remove one portion first, leaving the other in place so a cross-section can be exposed and recorded.

  2. B

    Remove the entire feature at once so its shape is not divided.

  3. C

    Excavate the feature only as uniform increments, regardless of its visible boundaries.

  4. D

    Leave the feature unrecorded until its fills have been mixed together.

07
Fill in the blank
1 point

An excavator has described a deposit's color, texture, and inclusions. The excavator should record these observations before assigning an .

08
Fill in the blank
1 point

In a pit feature, the cut records the act of digging, while the material in its fill was deposited .

09
Choose all
1 point

A team is excavating deposits with visible boundaries and wants to preserve the evidence in them. Which practices are supported? Select all that apply.

  1. A

    Keep spoil from separate contexts apart.

  2. B

    Remove unrelated deposits in a uniform thickness even when their boundaries are visible.

  3. C

    Excavate distinguishable deposits according to their boundaries and relationships.

  4. D

    Treat each arbitrary increment as proof of a separate ancient event.

  5. E

    Screen sediment as required by the research design and project standards.

10
Choose all
1 point

A field team is preparing records for a newly identified context. Which information should it include to preserve the context for later assessment? Select all that apply.

  1. A

    Record the unit or context identifier and its location.

  2. B

    Record only the team’s final interpretation of each deposit.

  3. C

    Record depth or elevation and observed soil characteristics.

  4. D

    Describe boundaries and relationships to other contexts.

  5. E

    Record the methods used and associate finds or samples with their specific context or level.

11
Open ended
1 point

A survey finds artifacts in one part of a site and suggests a possible structure in another. Propose a unit-placement and layout plan that could investigate these findings while preserving reliable spatial control and minimizing unnecessary disturbance.

12
Choose one
1 point

A remote-sensing survey identifies a subsurface anomaly. How should the team use that result when planning an investigation?

  1. A

    Treat every anomaly as an identified archaeological feature and avoid further investigation.

  2. B

    Use the anomaly to guide investigation, while recognizing that direct investigation may be needed to identify it.

  3. C

    Disregard survey results when selecting excavation units.

  4. D

    Place units only where the surface is level, regardless of the research question.

13
True or false
1 point

True or false: Archaeological excavation should be carried out by qualified personnel under relevant permits and project protocols.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

14
Choose one
1 point

An excavation square contains two deposits and a pit. Which description best fits the square itself?

  1. A

    A single depositional event

  2. B

    A defined spatial area selected for investigation

  3. C

    A layer that must have formed at one time

  4. D

    A record of the relationship between two finds

15
Choose one
1 point

A survey finds artifacts in one area and suggests a possible structure nearby. Which unit-placement strategy best tests a clear research question?

  1. A

    Place units at equal intervals regardless of survey results.

  2. B

    Excavate only where the ground is easiest to access.

  3. C

    Place a unit to test whether the suspected structure and nearby deposits are intact and how far they extend.

  4. D

    Choose a unit location only after removing the surface deposits.

16
Choose one
1 point

An excavator sees dark, loose sediment with charcoal flecks and a rounded boundary. Which field note best separates observation from interpretation?

  1. A

    “Hearth fill, probably from a cooking area.”

  2. B

    “Dark brown, loose sediment with charcoal flecks and a rounded boundary.”

  3. C

    “A domestic deposit from the late occupation.”

  4. D

    “The pit was used to store food.”

17
Written response
1 point

A labeled artifact container preserves the artifact’s specific context or level of origin. What is the archaeological term for that recorded origin?

18
Written response
1 point

In a pit, the cut and the later fill are recorded as different contexts. What event does the cut context represent?

19
Written response
1 point

A deposit has no reliably visible internal boundaries. What method can excavators use to control excavation with measured increments of a chosen thickness?

20
Written response
1 point

During excavation, a wall is identified as a non-portable element occupying a defined location. What archaeological classification should be recorded for it?