Study Guide Short Answer

Question 1

Why did Egyptians mummify the dead?

Answer 1

They believed the spirit could recognize the body and return to it, so they wanted to preserve the body as well as possible.

Question 2

When was mummification most widespread?

Answer 2

During the Greco-Roman period

Question 3

What is the major astronomical sighting marked at Stonehenge?

Answer 3

Winter Solstice, to mark the midpoint of winter

Question 4

In what phase were the Bluestones erected?

Answer 4

First phase

Question 5

What is the major astronomical sighting marked at Newgrange?

Answer 5

Winter Solstice

Question 6

What were Von Daniken’s three major hypotheses, according to Feder?

Answer 6

1) Human beings resulted, not from evolution, but from a combination of alien and ape genetic material. In other words, extraterrestrial aliens mated with our ancestors.

Feder calls this: “The Horny Astronaut Hypothesis”

2) Ancient humans left behind pictorial representations and written descriptions that can be best explained as the images and descriptions by ancient human beings of their eyewitness encounters with extraterrestrial
aliens

Feder calls this: “The Inkblot Hypothesis

3) The archaeological and historical records are filled with examples of great leaps in technology, impossible for human beings to have conceived without help from above. Our ancestors needed an extraterrestrial Peace Corps.

This is usually called the: “Our Ancestors, the Dummies” hypothesis

Question 7

What is the hypothesis regarding Stonehenge’s function that was presented in the film? What
was one piece of evidence used to support this hypothesis?

Answer 7

Stonehenge was a place for healing. The Amesbury Archer is a piece of evidence used as he was gravely injured (twice) and traveled a long way to Stonehenge.

Additionally, Bluestone was chipped off constantly and people brought the “healing stone” home with them

Question 8

What are the three major cycles of time recorded in a complete date in the Maya calendar.

Answer 8

Long Court

Tzolk’in (260 day cycles)

Haab (solar year, 365 day cycle)

Question 9

Why did people think that the Maya calendar predicted the end of the world?

Answer 9

Galactic Alignment lined up with the end of 2011, an event that is “supposedly” every 20,000+ years (reality it’s every century)

Question 10

In what phase were the Sarsen stones erected at Stonehenge?

Answer 10

Second phase

Question 11

What are the three hypotheses regarding Stonehenge’s function presented in lecture?

Answer 11

Purposes: Communal Ceremonies, Calendrical purposes, created authority (I think? I don’t know other than these)

Question 12

What evidence regarding the people who built the pyramids did archaeologists discover in the area
surrounding the pyramids on the Giza Plateau?

Answer 12

600 small tombs in this area; 70 more elaborate
tombs

Simple, rectangular burials located in shafts
under the tombs; these burials contain skeletons,
MANY OF WHICH ARE NOT MUMMIFIED because their modest budgets could not afford formal mummification.

Question 13

How were the Moai put into place?

Answer 13

Replicating the techniques that people used on Rapa Nui to create, transport and raise the great giant statutes.

Google:

They were carved on three sides, then lowered onto the slopes below where they were stood upright. … The Moai were lowered to the ground by ropes in order for the carving to be completed.

Question 14

What was one of the main functions of the Nazca Lines, according to lecture?

Answer 14

Google:

drawn across deserts and hills along the eastern coast of Peru and northern Chile which were either stylized drawings of animals, plants and humans or simple lines which connected sacred sites or pointed to water sources