1. The Unknown Story of Ancient North America

Question 1

What impressive evidence did the Mississippians leave behind?

Answer 1

1. Massive mounds, sometimes the size of mountains
2. Hundreds of acres of public plazas, sport courts, and massive fortified walls

Question 2

What did the massive Mississippian mounds look like?

Answer 2

1. Pyramid like structures, covered in hard-packed plaster and paint

Question 3

What was the only Southwest civilization to endure past European contact?

Answer 3

1. The Ancestral Pueblo

Question 4

When was the height of the Ancestral Pueblo civilization?

Answer 4

1. 990 - 1150 CE

Question 5

What important structures mark the height of the Ancestral Pueblo civilization?

Answer 5

1. Multi-story houses and adobe apartment complexes capable of housing hundreds or thousands of people

Question 6

What knowledge separated the Ancestral Pueblo from other North American civilizations?

Answer 6

1. They were master architects, engineers, and masons

Question 7

Where did the Hohokam live?

Answer 7

1. The desert of Arizona

Question 8

What major engineering feat did the Hohokam accomplish?

Answer 8

1. A massive irrigation system that turned hundreds of thousands of acres of the arid landscape green with fields of corn and cotton

Question 9

When did the Hohokam fade away?

Answer 9

1. The late 1300’s

Question 10

What similarities did the Complex Hunter Gatherers have with medieval Europe?

Answer 10

1. Their political and social systems were every bit as nuanced as anything in medieval Europe

Question 11

What date does BP (Before Present) refer to?

Answer 11

1. January 1, 1950

Question 12

Who was the inventor of Carbon 14 dating?

Answer 12

1. Willard Libby

Question 13

Why did scientists decide to name 1950 as the present year in “Before Present”?

Answer 13

1. That was when Carbon dating was invented

Question 14

What are the limitations of Carbon 14 dating?

Answer 14

1. It has a wide margin of error (50 to 200 years)
2. Samples are easily contaminated
3. Its rate of decay is not constant
4. There is an age limitation of samples (about 50,000 years ago)

Question 15

What is Optically Simulated Luminescence (OSL)?

Answer 15

1. A method for dating sediments and soils by analyzing radioactive isotopes that decay over time

Question 16

What are the benefits of OSL dating?

Answer 16

1. It’s date range is much better than Carbon 14 dating
2. It’s margin of error is only 5 to 10 percent of the samples age

Question 17

What is the date range of OSL dating?

Answer 17

1. Up to 350,000 years ago