ANT 102 Final Exam Questions With
Correct Answers Already Passed!!!
Who are the Druids and what role do they play in conflicts between stakeholders at
Stonehenge? CORRECT ANSWERS A group claiming a cultural link with the Celtic
culture; they are claiming links to the Stonehenge and that they are related to the
people that constructed Stonehenge; therefore, they are trying to prevent anyone from
destroying it
What evidence did Van Daniken use to argue that the ancient Maya were aliens? Using
what you have learned about the Maya, how would you refute this evidence?
CORRECT ANSWERS The carving from Pakal's tomb on the sarcophagus lid looks like
he's driving a space ship; because it's actually a portal from the world of the living to the
underworld of the ancestors.
Name and EXPLAIN three reasons discussed in class why the past is relevant to the
present. In other words, what uses do people in the present make of the past? Do not
just write something like "we can learn from the past." BE SPECIFIC! CORRECT
ANSWERS 1) Claim ownership of lands; People can say their ancestors have always
lived there, so they have the rights to the land
2) National identity; A peoples' culture can be derived from their ancestors in the past
3) To make money; People can use ancient artifacts just to make money and profit from
it
In the film about Stonehenge, you learned about archaeologists working at Stonehenge
and at a ruin just a couple miles away named Durrington Walls. What was Stonehenge
used for during the 3rd millennium BC, what was Durrington Walls used for, and how
are these two sites related to each other? IDK CORRECT ANSWERS Stonehenge was
a sacred burial ground; they found a lot of human bones
The Durrington Walls were used as a Neolithic human settlement; ancient houses;
Durrington walls are related to the Stonehenge because the two sites are connected to
a river.... They held feasts and rivers
It is said that a pathway/circuit connecting these two places link the living and the dead
during the Summer Solstice
The ancient Maya are said to be mysterious because of their "disappearance", because
of the notion that they were peaceful, and because they thrived in a rainforest. Choose
one of these "mysteries", explain why it is a mystery, and then solve the mystery using
evidence gained from scientific study. CORRECT ANSWERS Mystery: Complex society
in the middle of a rain forest
Mysterious because it was thought to be difficult to grow food in this environment but
they found ways to grow enough food to sustain a larger population
Solved: Chinampas, ways to maintain agriculture besides slash-and-burn
, Choose another one of the three mysteries mentioned in question 5, explain why it is a
mystery, and then solve the mystery using evidence gained from scientific study.
CORRECT ANSWERS Mystery: Unlike all other complex societies, they were thought
to be peaceful.
Mysterious: How can they be peaceful when all other societies aren't?
Evidence; Glyphs documented warfare and took prisoners as bloody sacrifices. They
had a defensive moat and wall. Sacrificing human blood to the gods was very important
Why is it hard to be specific about the length of the Great Wall of China? CORRECT
ANSWERS There isn't just one wall, there are several and you have to figure out which
one you are talking about.
Border walls (whether in 20th century Germany, 21st Century United States, or ancient
China) always have more purposes than what politicians usually claim. State one detail
about the walls built by the Q'in emperor in China and two purposes they most likely
served. CORRECT ANSWERS Detail; Grand
Purposes:
1) Social control; Regulate people coming in and out of the Chinese territory
2) Public architecture to express the power of the Chinese king; Symbolizing the power
of the king
Name and describe three logical errors that pseudo-archaeologists often commit.
CORRECT ANSWERS 1) The presumption that *coincidences* are intentional; In other
words, they presume that coincidences are not coincidental
2) Jumping to *conclusions* without enough *facts*
3) Use of *incorrect theories* and/or out of date information
Name and describe four ways in which pseudo-archaeologists skillfully use rhetoric to
attract believers. CORRECT ANSWERS 1) Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like
they are letting you in on something special: a *mystery*!
2) Pseudo-archaeologists portray themselves as free-thinkers, *rebels*, etc.
3) Pseudo-archaeologists frame their contributions as *visionary*; we have to rewrite
the textbooks!
4) *Kitchen-sink attack*; when you throw in all kinds of information from all kinds of
sources to make your argument seem stronger
Evolutionary psychologists often say that there is something in human nature that
causes people to want to believe in an idea, even if we do not yet have solid support for
that idea. How has over a million years of human history shaped our brains in such a
way that we are gullible—that we are very willing to believe things? CORRECT
ANSWERS Our brains are evolutionary programmed to see a pattern when there is not
Beyond looters, name two kinds of people or institutions who can be blamed for looting
and state why they should be blamed. CORRECT ANSWERS 1) Collectors; They cause
demand so people dig
2) Museums; Take loot and purchase it; support/generate demand for loot
Correct Answers Already Passed!!!
Who are the Druids and what role do they play in conflicts between stakeholders at
Stonehenge? CORRECT ANSWERS A group claiming a cultural link with the Celtic
culture; they are claiming links to the Stonehenge and that they are related to the
people that constructed Stonehenge; therefore, they are trying to prevent anyone from
destroying it
What evidence did Van Daniken use to argue that the ancient Maya were aliens? Using
what you have learned about the Maya, how would you refute this evidence?
CORRECT ANSWERS The carving from Pakal's tomb on the sarcophagus lid looks like
he's driving a space ship; because it's actually a portal from the world of the living to the
underworld of the ancestors.
Name and EXPLAIN three reasons discussed in class why the past is relevant to the
present. In other words, what uses do people in the present make of the past? Do not
just write something like "we can learn from the past." BE SPECIFIC! CORRECT
ANSWERS 1) Claim ownership of lands; People can say their ancestors have always
lived there, so they have the rights to the land
2) National identity; A peoples' culture can be derived from their ancestors in the past
3) To make money; People can use ancient artifacts just to make money and profit from
it
In the film about Stonehenge, you learned about archaeologists working at Stonehenge
and at a ruin just a couple miles away named Durrington Walls. What was Stonehenge
used for during the 3rd millennium BC, what was Durrington Walls used for, and how
are these two sites related to each other? IDK CORRECT ANSWERS Stonehenge was
a sacred burial ground; they found a lot of human bones
The Durrington Walls were used as a Neolithic human settlement; ancient houses;
Durrington walls are related to the Stonehenge because the two sites are connected to
a river.... They held feasts and rivers
It is said that a pathway/circuit connecting these two places link the living and the dead
during the Summer Solstice
The ancient Maya are said to be mysterious because of their "disappearance", because
of the notion that they were peaceful, and because they thrived in a rainforest. Choose
one of these "mysteries", explain why it is a mystery, and then solve the mystery using
evidence gained from scientific study. CORRECT ANSWERS Mystery: Complex society
in the middle of a rain forest
Mysterious because it was thought to be difficult to grow food in this environment but
they found ways to grow enough food to sustain a larger population
Solved: Chinampas, ways to maintain agriculture besides slash-and-burn
, Choose another one of the three mysteries mentioned in question 5, explain why it is a
mystery, and then solve the mystery using evidence gained from scientific study.
CORRECT ANSWERS Mystery: Unlike all other complex societies, they were thought
to be peaceful.
Mysterious: How can they be peaceful when all other societies aren't?
Evidence; Glyphs documented warfare and took prisoners as bloody sacrifices. They
had a defensive moat and wall. Sacrificing human blood to the gods was very important
Why is it hard to be specific about the length of the Great Wall of China? CORRECT
ANSWERS There isn't just one wall, there are several and you have to figure out which
one you are talking about.
Border walls (whether in 20th century Germany, 21st Century United States, or ancient
China) always have more purposes than what politicians usually claim. State one detail
about the walls built by the Q'in emperor in China and two purposes they most likely
served. CORRECT ANSWERS Detail; Grand
Purposes:
1) Social control; Regulate people coming in and out of the Chinese territory
2) Public architecture to express the power of the Chinese king; Symbolizing the power
of the king
Name and describe three logical errors that pseudo-archaeologists often commit.
CORRECT ANSWERS 1) The presumption that *coincidences* are intentional; In other
words, they presume that coincidences are not coincidental
2) Jumping to *conclusions* without enough *facts*
3) Use of *incorrect theories* and/or out of date information
Name and describe four ways in which pseudo-archaeologists skillfully use rhetoric to
attract believers. CORRECT ANSWERS 1) Pseudo-archaeologists make it sound like
they are letting you in on something special: a *mystery*!
2) Pseudo-archaeologists portray themselves as free-thinkers, *rebels*, etc.
3) Pseudo-archaeologists frame their contributions as *visionary*; we have to rewrite
the textbooks!
4) *Kitchen-sink attack*; when you throw in all kinds of information from all kinds of
sources to make your argument seem stronger
Evolutionary psychologists often say that there is something in human nature that
causes people to want to believe in an idea, even if we do not yet have solid support for
that idea. How has over a million years of human history shaped our brains in such a
way that we are gullible—that we are very willing to believe things? CORRECT
ANSWERS Our brains are evolutionary programmed to see a pattern when there is not
Beyond looters, name two kinds of people or institutions who can be blamed for looting
and state why they should be blamed. CORRECT ANSWERS 1) Collectors; They cause
demand so people dig
2) Museums; Take loot and purchase it; support/generate demand for loot
