Archaeology's Tech Revolution

Based on the title and opening paragraph, the reader can most reasonably predict that the central idea of the text is -

• archaeologists cannot avoid conflict with their colleagues

• modern technology has changed the study of archaeology

• many archaeologists were inspired by a modern film character

• technology cannot replace tools archaeologists have used for ages

Read the following quote from paragraph 3.

“If we dig part of a site, we destroy it,” said David Hurst Thomas, a curator in anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The author most likely uses an appositive in order to identify Thomas as —

• an famous archaeology professor

• an expert in the field he is speaking about

• an anthropologist rather than an archaeologist

• an advocate of digging less at archaeology sites

Read the following sentence from paragraph 5.

One of the current revolutions in archaeology relies upon satellites floating in orbit above the Earth.

Which choice best provides supporting evidence for this statement?

• Infrared imaging from space allowed archaeologists to find 17 undiscovered pyramids.

• Ground-penetrating radar helps archaeologists avoid damaging data when they dig sites.

• The isotope ratio of different locations can identify the origin of remains found in a 375-year-old grave.

• Archaeologists do not have to visit sites as much as they did before the invention of new technologies.

           Based on the section heading “Digging with less damage,” the reader can most reasonably predict that the section will focus on how archaeologists —

• rely on satellites that safely orbit the planet

• have excavated more artifacts around the world

• have used new technology to scan human remains

• use new tools that prevent harm to archeological sites

Read the following statement.

Technology has replaced certain tasks in archaeology that were previously done by hand.

Which quote from the selection best supports the statement?

• Many of the old Egyptian sites have buried mud brick architecture that crumbles over time. . . . (paragraph 7)

• Tools such as ground-penetrating radar can also help archaeologists avoid destroying precious data. . . . (paragraph 9)

• Archaeologists have many other new tools in the toolkit. (paragraph 16)

• Technology won’t eliminate the need to dig anytime soon, archaeologists say. (paragraph 18)

Which quote from the selection contains an appositive?

• They can dig with greater confidence and less collateral damage, apply the latest lab techniques to ancient human artifacts or remains. . . . (paragraph 4)

• Sarah Parcak, an Egyptologist at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and an international team recently used infrared satellite imaging. . . . (paragraph 5)

• Many . . .  don’t like the idea of disturbing the dead or buried remains,” Thomas explained. (paragraph 10)

• Once objects or bones have surfaced, archaeologists can return them to the lab for forensic analysis. . . . (paragraph 12)

Which statement best describes the central idea of “Archaeology’s Tech Revolution”? 

• Modern technology has tremendously improved the practice of archaeology.

• The ability to explore buried treasures from space has streamlined the work of modern archaeologists.

• Archaeologists now use satellite location technology before going to sites and digging.

• There is no comparison between archaeology as practiced in the movies and in reality.

We must promote originality and encourage ________.

• innovation

• GPS

• Forensic analysis