beginnings in archaeology

Question 1

What is a primary source?

Answer 1

primary sources were created during the time of what is being investigated.

Question 2

What is a secondary source?

Answer 2

A secondary source is a source created after the time that is being investigated.

Question 3

four ways archaeological sites are located?

Answer 3

natural forces, ancient writings, aerial photographs and human activity.

Question 4

What is excavation?

Answer 4

to dig up.

Question 5

What is a strata?

Answer 5

Strata is a layer of Earth from an excavation site, usually the top layer is the most recent and it descends from there.

Question 6

Three methods of excavation?

Answer 6

box-grid system - the site is divided into a grid of ‘boxes’ usually used on sites known to have been inhabited. The boxes are separated with walls of Earth.
Keyhole excavation - usually involves digging trenches at specific points of the site. (this system is less costly).
Open Area excavation - this involves digging up a large horizontal area one layer at a time.

Question 7

What is relative dating?

Answer 7

Relative dating establishes whether an artefact is older or younger than other artefacts found. One way this is deciphered is with strata: in which different objects are found and it is assumed the deeper in earth the older the object, but this technique is unreliable because natural forces may force land to move along with objects in the strata’s.

Question 8

Absolute dating?

Answer 8

Absolute dating is done easily if the date is marked on the objects (such as coins and inscriptions) but analysing exact date involves involves analysing atoms of artefact.

Question 9

Radio-carbon dating?

Answer 9

Measures how much carbon-14 is left in an organic artefact to measure the age of it.

Question 10

Dendrochronology?

Answer 10

Is used to date wood by examining rings formed: each year trees grow an extra layer this adds a ring to the trunk so from this the age of wood can be discovered.

Question 11

agriculture

Answer 11

growing crops and raising domesticated animals.

Question 12

How did humans populate Earth?

Answer 12

Modern Humans first originated in Africa (evolving from primates), where they continued to evolve and spread across the globe to colonise new land and adapt.

Question 13

Akhet

Answer 13

period of inundation.

Question 14

ankh

Answer 14

symbol of life

Question 15

ankhet

Answer 15

that which gives life (grain)

Question 16

ba

Answer 16

personality of a person

Question 17

book of the dead

Answer 17

papyrus scroll buried with the dead giving instructions as to how pass the underworld and face judgement.

Question 18

Duat

Answer 18

underworld

Question 19

inundation

Answer 19

annual flood in Egypt bringing soul to fertilise fields and water.

Question 20

ka

Answer 20

life-force

Question 21

Kemet

Answer 21

‘black land’ name of ancient Egypt

Question 22

maat

Answer 22

the idea of order

Question 23

natron

Answer 23

a salt found in dry lake beds used for drying dead bodies.

Question 24

Peret

Answer 24

the season in which crops begin to grow

Question 25

Shemu

Answer 25

harvest time

Question 26

physical features of ancient Egypt

Answer 26

made up of scattered oases in the desert a long thin strip of cultivable land on either side of the river nile and a wild fertile area at the delta where the nile empties into the mediterranean sea.

Question 27

Osiris

Answer 27

King of Underworld

Question 28

Horus

Answer 28

God of sun and war and protector of the pharaoh

Question 29

Anubis

Answer 29

in charge of the burial in Egyptq

Question 30

Isis

Answer 30

protector of women especially wives

Question 31

Maat

Answer 31

Goddess of justice

Question 32

Thoth

Answer 32

God of writing and knowledge

Question 33

Ra

Answer 33

God of the sun

Question 34

Mummification?

Answer 34

when someone died their body would be taken to a special purification place on the west bank of the River Nile. There it’s washed in a mixture of water and natron. It’s then taken to embalmers where they remove internal organs beginning with the brain. A long hook is inserted through the nose, the brain is shredded and remains were washed out with palm wine. The rest of the organs were removed through a cavity cut in the left flank. The liver, lungs, stomach and the intestines were preserved in natron and placed in four canopic jars. Palm wine was poured in to dissolve the rest of the organs. After 40 days, the body was black and distorted, to restore shape the embalmers would wrap the body in linen bandages.

Question 35

Four theories for the buildings of the ancient pyramids?

Answer 35

1. one large ramp; impossible because the ramp would be too steep.
2. a ramp that winds around pyramids: makes it harder to build because you can’t see corners.
3. A series of cranes from the bottom swinging the stones up: impossible because the crane was not created until New kingdom.
4. combination theory: A straight ramp used to build lowest section and a ramp around the pyramid enabled workers to build highest levels, finally a series of levers were used to pull the stones to the top.