Lab Quiz #1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is a topographic map?

A

A detailed graphic representation of features that appear on the Earth’s surface

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2
Q

How is terrain represented on topographic maps?

A

Contour lines

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3
Q

What are the 2 main purposes topographic maps have in archaeology?

A

Location of sites and Environmental assessment of a region

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4
Q

Map Reference

A

A number and a title indicating which map in the series one is working with
Generally located near the corner of a map

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5
Q

Date of Publication

A

Should always check date of original geographical survey and publication of map
allows you to reference map and check that you’re using recent representation of terrain and environment

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6
Q

How many north arrows on topographic maps?

A

3

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7
Q

True North

A

Fixed geographical north point (the North Pole) on Earth
arrow with star

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8
Q

Magnetic North

A

Point on Earth where magnetic lines of force converge, and consequently where a magnetic compass points
Traditionally has been in the North of Canada near Ellesmere Island, but is moving towards Russia
Arrow with MN

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9
Q

Grid North

A

Follows orientation of Universal Transverse Mercator system
Arrow with GN

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10
Q

Magnetic Declination

A

Angle between True North and Magnetic North
Used to calibrate compasses

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11
Q

When is True and Magnetic North in 0 degrees?

A

When they’re in the same direction

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12
Q

When is True and Magnetic North positive?

A

When magnetic north is east of true north

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13
Q

When is True and Magnetic North negative?

A

When magnetic north is west of true north

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14
Q

Angle between True North and Grid North

A

Grid Declination

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15
Q

What do contour lines represent?

A

The elevations of points on the ground
Illustrate the shape of the land surface
Can be negative or positive

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16
Q

The number and horizontal separation between contour lines

A

A reflection of steepness of a slope

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17
Q

Every 5th line in a contour lines is what?

A

An Index contour

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18
Q

What are location systems?

A

The methods by which locations of things are recorded

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19
Q

3 most widely used location systems in Canada?

A
  1. Legal Description
  2. Geographic Systems
  3. Universal Transverse Mercator System
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20
Q

Meridians - Legal System

A

North/South lines

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21
Q

Baselines - Legal Systems

A

East/West lines
First baseline is on US/Canada border
Each subsequent baseline is about 39km (24 miles) north of the previous

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22
Q

Where are townships

A

At each intersection of a baseline and meridian

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23
Q

Townships

A

About 6x6 miles square
Every township is divided into 36 sections

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24
Q

How big are the 36 sections

A

1 mile square

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25
Q

Sections are divided into

A

4 quarters
sections of SE, SW, NE, NW

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26
Q

Which one represents Meridian - 5-1-87-18W4

A

W4
In Western Canada, land is identified as being west of a Meridian

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26
Q

Which one represents Range - 5-1-87-18W4

A

18

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26
Q

Which one represents Township - 5-1-87-18W4

A

87
N/S lines of division

27
Q

Which one represents Section - 5-1-87-18W4

A

1

27
Q

Which one represents Legal Subdivisions (L.S.D.) - 5-1-87-18W4

A

5

27
Q

The Geographic System

A

Based upon the roughly spherical shape of the Earth, refers to position by degrees, minutes and seconds

28
Q

A degree and minute is divided into what?

A

degree - 60’
minute - 60”

29
Q

Locations on geographic system is represented by what 2 coordinates?

A

latitude and longitude

30
Q

Latitude

A

Measured in degrees from the equator, increasing as one moves north in our hemisphere, or south in southern hemisphere

31
Q

Longitude

A

Measured from east to west from the Prime Meridian which is a line running N/S through Greenwich, England

32
Q

Which one represents Degrees - 56o 1’ 40”

A

56o

33
Q

Which one represents Minutes - 56o 1’ 40”

A

1’

34
Q

Which one represents Seconds - 56o 1’ 40”

A

40”

35
Q

Challenges of Cartography

A

Earth is roughly spherical, however it isn’t a true sphere
Earth is ellipsoid (oblate spheroid)
Rough surface topography of earth is actually best characterized as a geoid

35
Q

Most commonly used map

A

Lambert Cylindrical

36
Q

Most accurate map yet created

A

designed by Japanese architect Hajime Narukawa

37
Q

The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)

A

An international locational reference system that depicts the Earth’s 3D surface in a 2D plane

38
Q

UTM allows users to identify what

A

geographic locations anywhere on the Earth’s surface between northern limits of North America and southern limits of Antarctica

39
Q

What is not included in UTM system and why

A

Remaining N/S polar regions
due to extreme projection distortions in grid

40
Q

Rules when using UTM

A
  1. All measurements must be taken from central meridian due to curvature
  2. To avoid complicating location calculations with negative values, easting points are measured from a false origin lying 500,000m west of the zone’s central meridian

To avoid dealing with negative values

41
Q

How are northing points measured - UTM

A

Relative to equator

42
Q

UTM grid is composed of:

A

light blue lines over the entire map
vertical easting lines and horizontal northing lines

43
Q

UTM easting and northing coordinates specify

A

position of a point on Earth

44
Q

Every UTM coordinate consists of what

A

UTM zone, easting, northing

45
Q

Which one represents UTM zone - UTM 11 0701750 5661700

A

UTM 11

46
Q

Which one represents easting - UTM 11 0701750 5661700

A

0701750

47
Q

Which one represents northing - UTM 11 0701750 5661700

A

5661700

48
Q

Why add a 0 in beginning? - UTM

A

just so numbers digits are even

49
Q

What are Site designation systems

A

methods by which archaeologists assign names and numbers to archaeological sites

50
Q

Borden System

A

Canada’s system site of designation
divides country into grid of units each measuring 2 degrees of latitude by 4 degrees of longitude

51
Q

What is provenience?

A

The location of objects on an archaeological site
recorded in 3 dimensions from a known point on a site - DATUM

52
Q

How many methods of recording Horizontal Provenience from a datum

A

3

53
Q

1st method of recording HP from datum

A

Set up a grid on the site and record an object’s location within that grid

54
Q

2nd method of recording HP from datum

A

Measuring a bearing and a distance from the site datum to the object being recorded

55
Q

3rd method of recording HP from datum

A

If one has a set up of 2 or more datums the position of an object can be triangulated based on its distance from the datums

56
Q

Vertical Provenience

A

The 3rd dimension, depth, elevation or altitude

57
Q

3 measurements of vertical provenience

A
  1. Depth below datum (b.d.)
  2. Depth below surface (b.s.)
  3. Altitude above sea level (a.s.l.)
58
Q

Stratigraphy

A

An artifacts vertical provenience
layering of soils, sediments and deposits

59
Q

How to determine layers

A

often distinguished by soil color, size, texture and compactness of soil
some sites are marked by amount of cultural material found or by cultural features

60
Q

Relative age

A

Archaeologists use stratigraphy to determine relative age of artifacts and soils

61
Q

Law of Superstition

A

Basically states lower layers are older than upper layers

62
Q

Processes which may disturb stratigraphy

A

erosion, rodent burrowing, root action and human burials

63
Q

Profile

A

The general stratigraphy of a site
or a particular excavation unit of
a site is illustrated in reports
cross-section view of layers through which the archaeologist excavated

64
Q

Harris Matrix

A

Visual tool that represents three-dimensional
stratigraphic layers in a 2D diagram
Developed by Dr. Harris.
Most recent contexts sit on top and the oldest sit at the bottom, with lines to link them together to represent direct stratigraphic contact