Free Practice Quiz Question List

3 Context and Archaeological Relationships Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 3 Context and Archaeological Relationships, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

True or false

1 point

Two deposits lie beside one another, but no clear boundary or other evidence shows how they relate. Can their proximity alone establish that they formed at the same time?

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

Deposit A lies beneath deposit B in an undisturbed sequence. What is the relative relationship of deposit A to deposit B?

Fill in the blank

1 point

A cut truncates an earlier deposit, and a fill is later placed inside that cut. The cut is the material it removed, and the fill is the cut.

Choose one

1 point

A pit cut (Context 11) truncates an earlier soil deposit (Context 10). A lower fill (Context 12) lies beneath an upper fill (Context 13). Which sequence orders these contexts from earliest to latest?

A
Context 11 → Context 10 → Context 12 → Context 13
B
Context 10 → Context 11 → Context 12 → Context 13
C
Context 10 → Context 12 → Context 11 → Context 13
D
Context 12 → Context 13 → Context 10 → Context 11

True or false

1 point

A Harris matrix can replace the original context records, plans, and section drawings because it contains the site's stratigraphic sequence.

A
True
B
False

Choose all

1 point

When recording an archaeological context, which information helps preserve the observed evidence for later analysis? Select all correct answers.

A
Its observable characteristics, such as color, texture, or composition
B
A definitive interpretation of the activity that formed it, even when evidence is incomplete
C
Its contents and location
D
Its physical relationships to nearby deposits or features

Fill in the blank

1 point

In the pit example, Context 11 is the , Context 12 is the , and Context 13 is the .

Choose one

1 point

An excavator wants to organize the observed relationships among contexts and check whether the site contains separate sequences. What is a Harris matrix most suited to doing?

A
It organizes observed stratigraphic relationships to show relative sequence and help identify separate sequences.
B
It assigns calendar dates to contexts based only on their position in the sequence.
C
It combines all deposits from one feature into a single context.
D
It replaces the need to record contexts separately during excavation.

Choose all

1 point

In the example of a filled pit, the pit feature consists of its cut and the fills inside it. Which listed contexts form part of the pit feature? Select all correct answers.

A
The cut that defines the pit’s shape
B
The lower fill inside the cut
C
The upper fill inside the cut
D
A nearby deposit outside the pit cut

Choose one

1 point

An artifact is found in a pit fill. What is the most cautious conclusion about using it to date the original cutting of the pit?

A
The finds prove that the cut and the fill were made at exactly the same time.
B
The finds are evidence associated with the fill, but they do not necessarily date the original cutting event exactly.
C
The finds must have been deposited before the cut was made.
D
The finds make the stratigraphic relationship between the cut and fill irrelevant.

Open ended

1 point

A pit's cut and its fills are recorded as separate contexts but understood together as one feature. Explain why archaeologists keep the cut and fills distinct, and how that practice helps preserve evidence for later interpretation.

Choose one

1 point

Two deposits are close together, but their contact does not show whether either overlies, abuts, or cuts the other. What is the most defensible way to classify their relationship?

A
The deposit nearest the excavation edge is earlier.
B
The deposits are contemporary because they touch.
C
Their relationship is unrelated or uncertain because no direct relationship or sufficient evidence is visible.
D
The deposits must be parts of the same context.

Choose one

1 point

During excavation, archaeologists identify a pit cut and two fills inside it. Which interpretation best distinguishes the feature from its contexts?

A
The pit is only the lowest fill; the cut and upper fill are separate features.
B
The pit is a feature made up of its cut and both fills.
C
The pit is a single context because all its parts belong to one activity.
D
The pit is the cut alone; material inside it is not part of the feature.

Written response

1 point

A pit has been dug, and material later accumulates inside it. What term describes that material as a separately recorded context?

Choose one

1 point

In an undisturbed sequence, Deposit A lies directly above Deposit B. What relative-order inference is generally supported?

A
The upper deposit is generally later than the lower deposit.
B
The upper deposit is necessarily contemporary with the lower deposit.
C
The lower deposit is generally later than the upper deposit.
D
Their relative order cannot be inferred from an undisturbed sequence.

Written response

1 point

An excavator gives a distinct deposit its own identifier and records its characteristics, contents, and relationships separately. What is this unit called?

True or false

1 point

Two deposits lie beside one another. Their proximity alone is enough to establish that they formed at the same time.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

A pit cut visibly truncates an earlier soil deposit. What does this direct relationship establish?

A
The deposit must postdate the cut because the cut is visible within it.
B
The deposit and cut must be contemporary because they meet.
C
The cut postdates the deposit because it truncates it.
D
The relationship gives their exact calendar dates.

Choose one

1 point

Excavation will remove the deposits being investigated. Which recording approach best preserves evidence so others can reassess it afterward?

A
Record only the excavator’s final interpretation, because the deposits will remain available for later study.
B
Document observable characteristics and relationships, using records such as plans, sections, photographs, and notes.
C
Combine all deposits into one record if they are close together.
D
Use a Harris matrix instead of making individual context records.

Written response

1 point

A layer of material accumulated by flooding is identified during excavation. What is the archaeological term for this material-bearing context?

3 Context and Archaeological Relationships Online Quiz Questions

Related study packs and tools