Chapter 7: Archaeology from the last 5,000 years

Question 1

empire

Answer 1

when one state dominates or exercises control over others

Question 2

Explanations for the collapse of civilizations

Answer 2

Generally unknown but possible ones can be categorized:
Ecological: ecological catastrophe- climate change, disease to crops, depletion of soil nutrients
Social/Political: failure of trading networks, internal conflict, conflict with other groups
Ideological: too many resources spent on religious activity

Question 3

Sequence of subsistence strategies

Answer 3

Foraging - pastoralism - horticulture - intensive agriculture - industrialism

Question 4

sequence of political systems

Answer 4

Bands - tribes - chiefdoms - states- empires

Question 5

Primary method of estimating population size

Answer 5

examine what are assumed to be residential structures in a settlement

Question 6

garbology*

Answer 6

the study of contemporary north american trash

Question 7

forensic archaeologists

Answer 7

provide skills of identifying, recovering, recording and interpreting physical evidence of human activities

Question 8

pseudoarchaeology*

Answer 8

people who maintain explanations involved with aliens or supernatural phenomena, often not taken seriously as the hypotheses cannot be tested

Question 9

occam’s razor*

Answer 9

the simplest explanation is usually the best, requires the fewest assumptions