Archaeology and Cultural Development Quiz

Ethnogenesis

• Ethnogenesis is the creation myth a group may or may not identify with

Archaeological Excavations

• Early excavations occurred in Pompeii (volcanic ash) and Mississippi mounds (Thomas Jefferson)

Stratigraphy and the Law of Superposition

• Stratigraphy is the study of rock layers
• The law of superposition states that layers closer to the surface are younger, and deeper layers are older.

Charles Lyell and Uniformitarianism

• Inspired by rock stratification, Charles Lyell developed uniformitarianism
• Uniformitarianism proposes that uniform natural processes have operated throughout history

Colt Hoare and the Three-Age System

• Colt Hoare classified European prehistory artifacts using the three-age system (stone, bronze, iron).
• The three-age system is not applicable to Africa and the Americas due to limited bronze and iron use.

Maya Architecture Discovery

• Frederick Catherwood discovered advanced Maya architecture in Tulum.

Theories of Cultural Evolution

• Lewis Henry Morgan and Edward Burnett Tylor developed theories on cultural evolution.
• Tylor and Morgan proposed that societies evolve through three stages: savagery, barbarism, and civilization.

Excavation Methods

• Mortimer Wheeler pioneered the box-grid excavation method.

Mexican Archaeology

• Leopoldo Batres was an influential archaeologist in Mexico.

Peruvian Archaeology

• Julio Tello, considered the father of Peruvian archeology, excavated at Macchu Picchu

Disrupting Racist Narratives

• Gertrude Caton-Thompson challenged racist narratives in Zimbabwe

Cave Art Expert

• Henri Breuil is a renowned expert on cave art, particularly of the Lascaux cave

Southwestern US and Mesoamerica

• Alfred V. Kidder studied southwestern US and Mesoamerica

Palestinian Excavations

• Dorothy Garrod performed excavations in Palestine