Study Guide: Investigating the Past

What do social scientists study?

• dinosaur skeletons

• human society

• astronomy

Which activity would an archaeologist most likely do?

• make maps

• read old newspapers

• examine objects

People who study the past are most like __________.

• detectives

• buildetrs

• teachers

An object made or used by people in the past is called ______________.

• a ritual

• an artifact

• 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 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

What unique challenge does the study of prehistoric history present?

• written records that cannot be read

• 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.

• 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 use for paintbrushes?

Which clue to the past has been found near the artwork displayed in parts of caves?

• masks in the shape of birds

• prayer books for ceremonies

• lamps for burning animal fat