Week 3 Article Part 2: Did a comet cause agriculture?

Question 1

What environmental change at Abu Hureyra favoured the shift to agriculture?

A) Increase in rainfall and warmer temperatures

B) Increase in forested areas

C) Transition to cooler, drier conditions

D) Expansion of hunting grounds

Answer 1

C

Question 2

(Fill-in-the-Blank)

The presence of a carbon-rich “black mat” layer at Abu Hureyra is thought to be evidence of a __________ caused by a cosmic airburst.

Answer 2

massive burning

Question 3

What key evidence supports the theory that a cosmic airburst triggered the Younger Dryas cooling period?

Answer 3

High concentrations of platinum, nanodiamonds, and metallic spherules found in the black mat layer, which suggest exposure to extreme heat from a cosmic impact.

Question 4

True or False

The Younger Dryas strewnfield, containing evidence of cosmic impacts, has been found only in the Levant region

Answer 4

False - Evidence of the Younger Dryas strewnfield has been found at about 50 sites across North and South America and Europe.

Question 5

What major change occurred in the diet of the inhabitants of Abu Hureyra after the Younger Dryas event?

A) Increase in wild fruits and berries

B) Shift to domestic-type grains and legumes

C) Dependence solely on wild
game

D) Increase in fishing practices

Answer 5

B

Question 6

Explain how the Younger Dryas impact event could have influenced early agricultural practices at Abu Hureyra.

Answer 6

The impact event likely caused significant environmental changes, including a shift to cooler, drier conditions.

These changes created a less hospitable environment for hunter-gatherers, prompting them to begin cultivating drought-resistant plants, domestic grains, and legumes to ensure a stable food source.

Question 7

Match each item with its related detail:

Younger Dryas
Black mat layer
Founder crops
Airburst
Shocked quartz

A) Associated with extreme temperatures and nanodiamonds

B) Emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, and chickpeas

C) Evidence of lower-pressure cosmic explosions

D) A period of global cooling

E) A type of cosmic explosion that occurs in the atmosphere

Answer 7

Younger Dryas - D) A period of global cooling

Black mat layer - A) Associated with extreme temperatures and nanodiamonds

Founder crops - B) Emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, and chickpeas

Airburst - E) A type of cosmic explosion that occurs in the atmosphere

Shocked quartz - C) Evidence of lower-pressure cosmic explosions

Question 8

Place the following events in chronological order:

1. Appearance of drought-resistant plants in Abu Hureyra’s archaeological record
2. A cosmic impact triggers the Younger Dryas climate change
3. Cultivation of domestic-type grains and legumes begins in Abu Hureyra
4. Settlement of Abu Hureyra by hunter-gatherers

Answer 8

Order: 4, 2, 3, 1

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the settlement of Abu Hureyra after the Younger Dryas impact?

A) Increased cultivation of domestic-type grains and legumes

B) Presence of drought-resistant plants in the archaeological record

C) Continued reliance on wild fruits and berries

D) Evidence of livestock penning and domestication

Answer 10

C