Q.1 What is the primary focus of bioarchaeology?
Studying ancient artifacts
Analyzing human remains from archaeological sites
Examining ancient texts
Mapping ancient trade routes
Explanation - Bioarchaeology focuses on human skeletal remains to understand health, diet, and lifestyle of past populations.
Correct answer is: Analyzing human remains from archaeological sites
Q.2 Which of the following can bioarchaeologists determine from human bones?
Ancestry, age, and sex
Exact occupation
Daily thoughts
Favorite food
Explanation - Human skeletal analysis can reveal demographic information such as age at death, biological sex, and genetic ancestry.
Correct answer is: Ancestry, age, and sex
Q.3 Which bone is most commonly used to determine sex in adults?
Femur
Skull
Humerus
Tibia
Explanation - The skull displays sexually dimorphic traits such as the jaw, brow ridges, and mastoid process, which help determine biological sex.
Correct answer is: Skull
Q.4 Paleopathology is a subfield of bioarchaeology that studies:
Ancient writing systems
Disease in ancient human populations
Ancient pottery designs
Stone tool technologies
Explanation - Paleopathology examines skeletal evidence of diseases to understand health and disease patterns in past populations.
Correct answer is: Disease in ancient human populations
Q.5 Which method is used to estimate the age at death of a skeleton?
Radiocarbon dating
Dental eruption and wear analysis
Carbon isotope analysis
Soil composition study
Explanation - Teeth eruption patterns and wear are reliable indicators for estimating age in both juveniles and adults.
Correct answer is: Dental eruption and wear analysis
Q.6 What does stable isotope analysis in bioarchaeology primarily reveal?
Age of the skeleton
Dietary habits and migration patterns
Occupation of the individual
Cause of death
Explanation - Stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in bones provide information on diet, geographic origin, and mobility.
Correct answer is: Dietary habits and migration patterns
Q.7 Which skeletal feature helps in identifying nutritional stress?
Cranial suture patterns
Enamel hypoplasia in teeth
Length of femur
Pelvic shape
Explanation - Lines or defects in tooth enamel indicate periods of malnutrition or illness during childhood.
Correct answer is: Enamel hypoplasia in teeth
Q.8 Bioarchaeologists often collaborate with which of the following specialists?
Astronomers
Forensic anthropologists
Oceanographers
Meteorologists
Explanation - Forensic anthropologists help interpret skeletal remains, providing expertise in trauma analysis and identification techniques.
Correct answer is: Forensic anthropologists
Q.9 Which type of burial can provide the most information for bioarchaeologists?
Cremation
Primary inhumation
Ash scattering
Symbolic burials
Explanation - Primary inhumation, where the body is buried intact, preserves skeletal and sometimes soft tissue information.
Correct answer is: Primary inhumation
Q.10 Trauma analysis in bioarchaeology can reveal:
Ancient art styles
Evidence of interpersonal violence or accidents
Weather patterns
Ancient trade goods
Explanation - Skeletal trauma, such as fractures or cuts, provides insights into violence, warfare, or accidents in past populations.
Correct answer is: Evidence of interpersonal violence or accidents
Q.11 What does the study of burial orientation in bioarchaeology suggest?
Religious beliefs and cultural practices
Age at death
Dietary habits
Economic status
Explanation - Burial orientation often reflects cultural or religious norms, indicating symbolic meanings assigned to the body and afterlife.
Correct answer is: Religious beliefs and cultural practices
Q.12 Which element in bones is often analyzed to reconstruct ancient diets?
Calcium and phosphorus
Nitrogen and carbon isotopes
Iron and zinc
Sodium and potassium
Explanation - Nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios provide insight into protein sources and types of plants consumed.
Correct answer is: Nitrogen and carbon isotopes
Q.13 What does a high frequency of osteoarthritis in an ancient population suggest?
Genetic diseases were prevalent
Repetitive physical labor or activity
Frequent infections
Low life expectancy
Explanation - Osteoarthritis indicates wear and tear on joints, often due to repeated movements or strenuous activity.
Correct answer is: Repetitive physical labor or activity
Q.14 Which skeletal evidence indicates childhood growth disruptions?
Porotic hyperostosis
Harris lines
Bone length
Cranial vault thickness
Explanation - Harris lines are growth arrest lines visible in long bones, indicating periods of physiological stress during childhood.
Correct answer is: Harris lines
Q.15 Which type of analysis helps determine the ancestry of skeletal remains?
Metric and non-metric cranial analysis
Radiocarbon dating
Soil stratigraphy
Artifact typology
Explanation - Cranial measurements and traits can help infer ancestral background based on population-specific characteristics.
Correct answer is: Metric and non-metric cranial analysis
Q.16 What can dental microwear reveal about ancient populations?
Occupation
Recent trauma
Dietary habits
Cause of death
Explanation - Microscopic wear patterns on teeth indicate the type of food consumed, such as tough, gritty, or soft diets.
Correct answer is: Dietary habits
Q.17 Which of the following is an indicator of anemia in skeletal remains?
Harris lines
Porotic hyperostosis
Enamel hypoplasia
Osteoarthritis
Explanation - Porotic hyperostosis manifests as porous lesions on the cranial vault due to iron deficiency anemia.
Correct answer is: Porotic hyperostosis
Q.18 Bioarchaeologists often use radiocarbon dating primarily to:
Estimate the age of artifacts
Determine the age of skeletal remains
Identify ancient species
Analyze chemical composition
Explanation - Radiocarbon dating measures the decay of carbon-14 in organic material, providing an estimate of the age of bones.
Correct answer is: Determine the age of skeletal remains
Q.19 Which bone is most useful in estimating stature?
Femur
Skull
Rib
Vertebra
Explanation - Long bones like the femur correlate strongly with overall height, allowing estimation of stature in bioarchaeology.
Correct answer is: Femur
Q.20 What type of trauma indicates potential interpersonal violence?
Healed fractures
Projectile injuries on the skull
Harris lines
Enamel hypoplasia
Explanation - Sharp or projectile trauma, especially on the cranium, may indicate violent encounters or warfare.
Correct answer is: Projectile injuries on the skull
Q.21 Which of the following is an ethical consideration in bioarchaeology?
Selling skeletal remains
Respecting descendant communities
Collecting bones without documentation
Ignoring local laws
Explanation - Bioarchaeologists must respect cultural sensitivities and legal frameworks regarding the handling and study of human remains.
Correct answer is: Respecting descendant communities
Q.22 Enamel hypoplasia in teeth is often caused by:
Nutritional stress during childhood
Fractures from trauma
Arthritis
Genetic disorders only
Explanation - Periods of malnutrition or illness during tooth development leave linear defects in enamel.
Correct answer is: Nutritional stress during childhood
Q.23 Which scientific technique can reconstruct ancient migration patterns?
DNA analysis and isotope studies
Osteoarthritis examination
Porotic hyperostosis analysis
Radiocarbon dating only
Explanation - Genetic markers and isotopic ratios of bones and teeth can indicate geographic origin and movement of past populations.
Correct answer is: DNA analysis and isotope studies
Q.24 What is the main goal of bioarchaeology in social anthropology?
To explore human behavior, diet, health, and cultural practices through skeletal analysis
To translate ancient texts
To study ancient pottery
To reconstruct ancient architecture
Explanation - Bioarchaeology integrates biological and cultural perspectives to understand how humans lived and adapted in the past.
Correct answer is: To explore human behavior, diet, health, and cultural practices through skeletal analysis