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WorksheetsInvestigating the Past
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 11mins
Social scientists are scholars who study
animal behavior
dinosaur skeletons
human society
astronomy
Which of these activities would an archaeologist most likely do?
make maps
examine objects
read old newspapers
study Earth's features
People who study the past are most like
artists
builders
detectives
teachers
An object made or used by people in the past is called
an artifact
a document
a ritual
a theory
Why do historians read diaries and letters from the past?
to agree on plans for the future
to compare their ideas of history
to learn to speak an ancient language
to find out what happened and why
Which of these is a human-made feature that a geographer might study?
a cave
a road
a spear
a volcano
What unique challenge does the study of prehistoric history present?
written records that cannot be read
conflicting views in ancient diaries
lack of evidence from the period
huge amounts of artifacts to analyze
What is the evidence that prehistoric cave artists built wood structures (scaffolding) to stand on?
Many trees grew in the area.
The ancient planks are still there.
Pictures of the scaffolding have been found.
Some paintings are too high to be reached from the floor.
If ancient paintings were found in a cave, which of these questions would be the hardest to answer?
Why did people paint in caves?
What type of paint did people use?
What did people paint pictures of?
What did people use for paintbrushes?
Which clue to the past has been found near the artwork displayed in parts of caves?
maps of the land nearby
masks in the shape of birds
prayer books for ceremonies
lamps for burning animal fat
How did prehistoric artists deal with the uneven surfaces of the caves?
They only painted animals on the uneven surfaces.
They did not paint in caves with uneven surfaces.
They included uneven surfaces as part of their composition.
They were forced to paint around any cracks in the caves.
Why are ancient handprints found on cave walls very small?
The cave ceilings were very low.
The prints were made by children.
People long ago were not as big as people today.
The smallest members of the group stayed home to paint.
What does this ancient spear thrower, with its detailed carving, indicate about the person who may have used it?
This person was a hunter.
This person was very strong.
This person prayed to animals.
This person was a skilled painter.
Which question about the past does cave art most help to answer?
What did the people look like?
What animals lived in the area?
What language did people speak?
What did geometric shapes mean?
What do scientists think may have been the reason why ancient artists made paint by grinding different minerals and mixing the powder with fat or oil?
to find out which paint would last longest
to make different colors of paint for their art
to make the paint dry in different lengths of time
to use the paint in ceremonies for hunting different animals
