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Quiz about Do You Know Anthropology
Quiz about Do You Know Anthropology

Do You Know Anthropology? Trivia Quiz


How much do you know about anthropology? It's the study of humankind, to put it simply. This quiz is for everyone, whether you study anthropology or have never even heard of this science before. Happy quizzing.

A multiple-choice quiz by kashu_gakusei. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
221,776
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
2653
Last 3 plays: Guest 159 (7/10), Guest 49 (4/10), Guest 207 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. There are four branches of anthropology: archaeology, cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and linguistics. Which of these branches deals with molecular biology, genetics, and primatology, among numerous other topics? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This scientist can be trained to look at fragments of bone dating back thousands, if not millions of years, and will be able to determine the sex, age, and diet of the individual. What is the correct name for a scientist who studies the human skeleton? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. One of the challenging issues that faces anthropologists is the many ways a site, an artifact, a theory, etc can be interpreted. Case in point - Stonehenge. There is still much debate about how, for instance, the extraordinary monument was constructed, especially without machinery like we have today. Most people have heard of Stonehenge and know that it is in England. Which of these has been proposed as being this incredible pre-historic landmark's purpose? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Suppose you are on site at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: one of the most famous early-human sites in the entire world. Which of the following dating methods listed below would you most likely use to determine the age of human remains found in the indigenous volcanic rock? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Imagine for a moment that you are an archaeologist, a scientist who studies human remains and the things they left behind in the context of time and change. You are searching for a new site on which to dig, and as you happen to be walking, you notice a cluster of arrowheads and animal bones poking out of the ground. As much as you would like to pick those arrowheads up, as an archaeologist, you know this is not an option because... Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Jane Goodall is a very famous primatologist (a scientist who studies primates, past and present); we see her a lot on television shows such as "Discovery" and featured in magazines like "Science" and "National Geographic." What kind of primate does she study almost exclusively? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In which world location listed below could you find these famous archaeological sites: Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. One of the characteristics of the Neolithic site Mehrgarh in Southeast Asia are the many anthropomorphic figurines excavated there. What does anthropomorphic mean? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In which of the four major branches of anthropology (biological, cultural, linguistics, archaeology) would you study for your future career if you were interested in grammar, vocabulary, and the origin of languages? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Suppose you are walking down the streets of Peru, looking at all of the interesting shops and vendors carts as you pass. One vendor in particular catches your eye: he has an assortment of guinea pigs. You ask him why he has so many, and he tells you that guinea pigs are roasted, stretched out over a bowl of potatoes, and eaten on the indigenous peoples' birthdays. "How disgusting!" you exclaim. What is this view of another's cultural practices as inferior to your own known as, in the world of anthropology? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 159: 7/10
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 49: 4/10
Mar 19 2024 : Guest 207: 6/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 58: 5/10
Mar 07 2024 : Guest 204: 0/10
Mar 06 2024 : Guest 71: 7/10
Feb 26 2024 : Guest 108: 4/10
Feb 25 2024 : Guest 172: 7/10
Feb 18 2024 : Guest 65: 7/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. There are four branches of anthropology: archaeology, cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and linguistics. Which of these branches deals with molecular biology, genetics, and primatology, among numerous other topics?

Answer: Biological anthropology

This is such an all-encompassing science: It deals with the biological aspects of humans and our ancestors. This science is helpful not only in our past but in our present as well! One such example is an osteologist. There will be more information on this profession in the next question.
2. This scientist can be trained to look at fragments of bone dating back thousands, if not millions of years, and will be able to determine the sex, age, and diet of the individual. What is the correct name for a scientist who studies the human skeleton?

Answer: Osteologist

Osteologists have a very important role to play in the analysis of archaeological remains, but these scientists do not live only in the past; quite a few get jobs in forensics, as coroners or crime scene investigators.
3. One of the challenging issues that faces anthropologists is the many ways a site, an artifact, a theory, etc can be interpreted. Case in point - Stonehenge. There is still much debate about how, for instance, the extraordinary monument was constructed, especially without machinery like we have today. Most people have heard of Stonehenge and know that it is in England. Which of these has been proposed as being this incredible pre-historic landmark's purpose?

Answer: It functioned as a stellar/solar observatory

Although there is considerable debate as to the actual purpose of this site, none of the incorrect answers above have been given any credence whatsoever. I say this only because there is so much that we do not know about this mysterious landmark.

There is sufficient evidence that it acted as an observatory to record the summer solstice. In fact, it is still fairly accurate today.

Recently archaeological studies have shown that it was also a crematorium for, presumably, very important people
4. Suppose you are on site at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania: one of the most famous early-human sites in the entire world. Which of the following dating methods listed below would you most likely use to determine the age of human remains found in the indigenous volcanic rock?

Answer: Radiopotassium dating

Cheers to you if you knew the answer, but to those left confused, I'll explain. Radiopotassium dating is a method used by anthropologists to date (find out how old) volcanic rocks and minerals are. So what does this have to do with dating human remains? To make it simple, there is an element in the minerals of the earth's crust called potassium that has one radioactive isotope. We know from chemistry class that an isotope radioactively decays and has a half-life (in the case of potassium, 1.3 billion years). By measuring how much of the isotope is left in the rock(s) in question, we can determine how much of the isotope has decayed, thereby giving us the amount of time that has passed since that rock was created! And, in knowing how old the rock is, we can find out approximately how old the human remains encased within are too. Amazing what our technology can help us accomplish, isn't it?
5. Imagine for a moment that you are an archaeologist, a scientist who studies human remains and the things they left behind in the context of time and change. You are searching for a new site on which to dig, and as you happen to be walking, you notice a cluster of arrowheads and animal bones poking out of the ground. As much as you would like to pick those arrowheads up, as an archaeologist, you know this is not an option because...

Answer: Artifacts without context are nearly useless

Arrowheads are definitely NOT worthless, they do tell us quite a bit about our past, and we cannot assume to have found every arrowhead industry ever made.
Arrowheads can tell us a lot about how humans lived. Depending on the complexity of the manufacture of the arrowhead, it can give us an idea of the complexity of the mind of the human that made it.
As for artifacts sticking out of the ground being new, that is definitely not true. In the rural areas of the world, new sites are often found by farmers dredging up the soil on their properties. The tilling brings the artifacts up to the surface from a site buried underneath the surface.
6. Jane Goodall is a very famous primatologist (a scientist who studies primates, past and present); we see her a lot on television shows such as "Discovery" and featured in magazines like "Science" and "National Geographic." What kind of primate does she study almost exclusively?

Answer: Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees share 98% of the same DNA with humans... Amazing. Gorillas are not far behind, though, with about 96% of the same DNA.
7. In which world location listed below could you find these famous archaeological sites: Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Torre Annunziata?

Answer: Italy

Pompeii is a site that nearly everyone has heard of: Mount Vesuvius erupting in 79 A.D. ring a bell? A lot of people don't know about the other two listed above, however. Herculaneum was another commercial city not far from Pompeii. While it is not as famous as Pompeii, Herculaneum in my opinion is the better preserved and more interesting of the two sites. Torre Annunziata was once a very wealthy villa; today, it is world-renowned for its preservation of some of the most beautiful paintings of all Italy.
8. One of the characteristics of the Neolithic site Mehrgarh in Southeast Asia are the many anthropomorphic figurines excavated there. What does anthropomorphic mean?

Answer: Displaying human characteristics

The ancient residents of Mehrgarh were not the only people with anthropomorphic figurines. Some of the early Andean peoples worked with anthropomorphic figurines and complicated carvings.
9. In which of the four major branches of anthropology (biological, cultural, linguistics, archaeology) would you study for your future career if you were interested in grammar, vocabulary, and the origin of languages?

Answer: Linguistics

Anthropological linguists get jobs today in the various world governments, as English as a Second Language teachers, and as pop culturists, just for a few examples. There are so many opportunities in this field.
10. Suppose you are walking down the streets of Peru, looking at all of the interesting shops and vendors carts as you pass. One vendor in particular catches your eye: he has an assortment of guinea pigs. You ask him why he has so many, and he tells you that guinea pigs are roasted, stretched out over a bowl of potatoes, and eaten on the indigenous peoples' birthdays. "How disgusting!" you exclaim. What is this view of another's cultural practices as inferior to your own known as, in the world of anthropology?

Answer: Ethnocentrism

Employing cultural relativism is actually what the person in the above example should have done: looking at that part of Peruvian culture in the context of Peruvian culture, not their own. Anthropologists need to constantly check themselves and be sure not to look down on other cultures past or present, as should all people. Ethnocentrism is widespread, but by becoming aware of our tendencies to think of other cultures as less than our own, we can at least help to reduce its occurrence.
If you are interested in any of these areas of anthropology, I suggest going to your local community college and signing up for a few courses; community colleges are relatively inexpensive and have great financial aid programs. It's a fantastic way to learn more about this intriguing science.
Thank you for taking my quiz; I really hope you learned something new today.
Source: Author kashu_gakusei

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