The Nature and Aims of Archaeology Reading Answers
The IELTS Reading analyzes the reading abilities of the candidates in the English language. With the IELTS exam, candidates' abilities are assessed in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The IELTS Reading section tests the reading proficiency of the candidates through a passage and questions. Candidates need to answer 40 questions each having different question types in IELTS Academic Reading passage. The IELTS reading section tests the understanding ability of the candidates through different task types. Candidates can consider preparing using IELTS Reading Sample Papers. The Nature and Aims of Archaeology Reading Answers includes different types of question as identified in the following which might be useful for candidates appearing for the exam:
- Yes/No/Not Given
- Choose Two Letters
- Complete the summary
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
The Nature and Aims of Archaeology Reading Answers
Section A
Archaeology is partly the discovery of the treasures of the past, partly the careful work of the scientific analyst, partly the exercise of the creative imagination. It is toiling in the sun on an excavation in the Middle East, it is working with living Inuit in the snows of Alaska, and it is investigating the sewers of Roman Britain. But it is also the painstaking task of interpretation so that we come to understand what these things mean for the human story. And it is the conservation of the world’s cultural heritage against looting and careless harm.
Archaeology, then, is both a physical activity out in the field, and an intellectual pursuit in the study or laboratory. That is part of its great attraction. The rich mixture of danger and detective work has also made it the perfect vehicle for fiction writers and film-makers, from Agatha Christie with Murder in Mesopotamia to Stephen Spielberg with Indiana Jones. However far from reality such portrayals are, they capture the essential truth that archaeology is an exciting quest – the quest for knowledge about ourselves and our past.
Section B
But how does archaeology relate to disciplines such as anthropology and history, that are also concerned with the human story? Is archaeology itself a science? And what are the responsibilities of the archaeologist in today’s world?
Anthropology, at its broadest, is the study of humanity – our physical characteristics as animals and our unique non-biological characteristics that we call culture. Culture in this sense includes what the anthropologist, Edward Tylor, summarized in 1871 as ‘knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society’. Anthropologists also use the term ‘culture’ in a more restricted sense when they refer to the culture of a particular society, meaning the non-biological characteristics unique to that society, which distinguish it from other societies. Anthropology is thus a broad discipline – so broad that it is generally broken down into three smaller disciplines: physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and archaeology.
Section C
Physical anthropology, or biological anthropology as it is also called, concerns the study of human biological or physical characteristics and how they evolved. Cultural anthropology – or social anthropology – analyses human culture and society. Two of its branches are ethnography (the study at first hand of individual living cultures) and ethnology (which sets out to compare cultures using ethnographic evidence to derive general principles about human society).
Archaeology is the ‘past tense of cultural anthropology’. Whereas cultural anthropologists will often base their conclusions on the experience of living within contemporary communities, archaeologists study past societies primarily through their material remains – the buildings, tools, and other artefacts that constitute what is known as the material culture left over from former societies.
Section D
Nevertheless, one of the most important tasks for the archaeologist today is to know how to interpret material culture in human terms. How were those pots used? Why are some dwellings round and others square? Here the methods of archaeology and ethnography overlap. Archaeologists in recent decades have developed ‘ethnoarchaeology’, where, like ethnographers, they live among contemporary communities, but with the specific purpose of learning how such societies use material culture – how they make their tools and weapons, why they build their settlements where they do, and so on. Moreover, archaeology has an active role to play in the field of conservation. Heritage studies constitute a developing field, where it is realized that the world’s cultural heritage is a diminishing resource which holds different meanings for different people.
Section E
If, then, archaeology deals with the past, in what way does it differ from history? In the broadest sense, just as archaeology is an aspect of anthropology, so too is it a part of history – where we mean the whole history of humankind from its beginnings over three million years ago. Indeed, for more than ninety-nine per cent of that huge span of time, archaeology – the study of past material culture – is the only significant source of information. Conventional historical sources begin only with the introduction of written records around 3,000 BC in western Asia, and much later in most other parts of the world.
A commonly drawn distinction is between prehistory, i.e. the period before written records – and history in the narrow sense, meaning the study of the past using written evidence. To archaeology, which studies all cultures and periods, whether with or without writing, the distinction between history and prehistory is a convenient dividing line that recognises the importance of the written word, but in no way lessens the importance of the useful information contained in oral histories.
Section F
Since the aim of archaeology is the understanding of humankind, it is a humanistic study, and since it deals with the human past, it is a historical discipline. But it differs from the study of written history in a fundamental way. The material the archaeologist finds does not tell us directly what to think. Historical records make statements, offer opinions and pass judgements. The objects the archaeologists discover, on the other hand, tell us nothing directly in themselves. In this respect, the practice of the archaeologist is rather like that of the scientist, who collects data, conducts experiments, formulates a hypothesis, tests the hypothesis against more data, and then, in conclusion, devises a model that seems best to summarize the pattern observed in the data. The archaeologist has to develop a picture of the past, just as the scientist has to develop a coherent view of the natural world.
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Questions 1-6:
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO, if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Question 1: Archaeology involves creativity as well as careful investigative work.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Statement: Archaeology is partly the discovery of the treasures of the past, partly the careful work of the scientific analyst, partly the exercise of the creative imagination….
Keywords: Archaeology, treasures of the past, scientific analyst, creative imagination
Keyword Location: Section A, line 1-2
Explanation: the passage begins with the introduction to archaeology. In those lines, Archaeology was mentioned as the act of discovering the treasures of the past, partly the careful work of the scientific analyst and the exercise of creative imagination. This work requires a careful investigation and a clear idea of the fossils and their placement. Hence the statement describes Archaeology's introduction statement. So the answer is Yes.
Question 2: Archaeologists must be able to translate texts from ancient languages.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting Statement: A commonly drawn distinction is between prehistory, i.e. the period before written records – and history in the narrow sense, meaning the study of the past using written evidence.
Keyword: drawn distinction, prehistory
Keyword Location: Section E, last para first line
Explanation: the given statement that the archaeologists must be able to translate texts from ancient languages is not a proper statement according to the passage. The translation work can be done by another set of people skilled in translation and the archaeologists will only concentrate on the clear investigation of the fossils and the remains. Hence the statement has no contact with the context of archaeologists described in the above passage.
Question 3: Movies give a realistic picture of the work of archaeologists
Answer: No
Supporting Statement: However far from reality such portrayals are, they capture the essential truth that archaeology is an exciting quest - the quest for knowledge about ourselves and our past…
Keywords: reality, essential truth, exciting quest
Keyword Location: Section A, lines 4-6
Explanation: In many movies we see archaeology being very easy and interesting in that they portray a completely different meaning and hide the essential truth. Knowing about the past and analyzing them to the micro-level is a hectic task for anyone. Their work includes a different culture working with the dead physical bodies of animals or unique non-biological characteristics. Hence the statement that movies give a real meaning is the wrong statement.
Question 4: Anthropologists define culture in more than one way.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Statement: Culture in this sense includes what the anthropologist, Edward Tylor, summarized in 1871 as 'knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
Keywords: Culture, anthropologist, member of society
Keyword Location: Section B, lines 5-7
Explanation: Generally anthropology itself is a broad study of humanity and this was defined separately by anthropologists like Edward Tylor as Knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by the men who are the members of the society. This implies the meaning of culture as a collection of different activities by different feelings acquired by the human as the habits according to the above said passage. Hence the statement is correct according to the passage.
Question 5: Archaeology is a more demanding field of study than anthropology.
Answer: Not Given
Supporting Statement: Anthropology is thus a broad discipline – so broad that it is generally broken down into three smaller disciplines: physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and archaeology.
Keyword: Anthropology, broad discipline, physical anthropology
Keyword Location: Section B, second para last 3 lines
Explanation: Archaeology is part of the smaller discipline under Anthropology which is itself a vast and broad discipline and includes physical anthropology and cultural anthropology as others. However, the statement Archaeology is a more demanding field of study than anthropology is not given.
Question 6: The history of Europe has been documented since 3,000 BC.
Answer: No
Supporting Statement: Conventional historical sources begin only with the introduction of written records around 3,000 BC in Western Asia, and much later in most other parts of the world.
Keywords: Conventional historical sources, Western Asia
Keyword Location: Section E, lines 6-8
Explanation: the history of Europe has been introduced as the written record at around 3,000 BC in western Asia. Later this trend spread all around the world. But in the above statement, the conventional historical sources begin at an early age, but it was mentioned that the history of Europe was already documented since 3,000 BC which is a wrong statement and implies a reverse meaning of European culture.
Questions 7-8:
Choose TWO letters A-E.
Write your answers in boxes 7-8 on your answer sheet.
The list below gives some statements about anthropology.
Which TWO statements are mentioned by the writer of the text?
- It is important for government planners.
- It is a continually growing field of study.
- It often involves long periods of fieldwork.
- It is subdivided for study purposes.
- It studies human evolutionary patterns.
Question 7: give one statement written by the author of the above text.
Answer: D. It is subdivided for study purposes.
Supporting Statement: Anthropology is thus a broad discipline - so broad that it is generally broken down into three smaller disciplines: physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, and archaeology.
Keyword: Physical anthropology, human biological
Keyword location: Section B, second para last 3 lines
Explanation: Among all the above statements, the statement that anthropology was divided into sub-topics for the sole purpose of studying in different disciplines like physical anthropology, Cultural anthropology, and archaeology. Hence, this statement was directly mentioned in the passage by the author but the remaining statements were also correct but are not related to the context of this passage.
Question 8: give one statement written by the author of the above text.
Answer: E. It studies human evolutionary patterns.
Supporting Statement: Physical anthropology, or biological anthropology as it is also called, concerns the study of human biological or physical characteristics and how they evolved.
Keyword: biological, human
Keyword Location: Section C, 1st line
Explanation: Among all the disciplines of anthropology, physical anthropology which is also called biological anthropology deals with the concerns of the human biological and physical characteristics and their evolution. The study of the evolutionary patterns of the human body comes under physical anthropology or biological anthropology. This was mentioned in the above passage. Hence the above statement that the study of the human evolutionary pattern is in the context of the passage.
Questions 9-10:
Choose TWO letters A-E.
Write your answers in boxes 9-10 on your answer sheet.
The list below gives some of the tasks of an archaeologist.
Which TWO of these tasks are mentioned by the writer of the text?
- examining ancient waste sites to investigate diet
- studying cave art to determine its significance
- deducing reasons for the shape of domestic buildings
- investigating the way different cultures make and use objects
- examining evidence for past climate changes
Question 9: give one statement written by the author of the above text.
Answer: C. deducing reasons for the shape of domestic buildings
Supporting Statement: how they make their tools and weapons, why they build their settlements where they do, and so on…
Keywords: tools and weapons
Keyword Location: Section D, lines 6-7
Explanation: All the old buildings and architecture are very insane and the shapes of different objects have their use. Especially, the tools and weapons which were made are of utmost care and they are made to use several times. When the archaeologists find these in the fossil remains they will analyze them and deduce the reasons for the structure being made of some kind; this was clearly mentioned by the author in the above passage. Hence this is the statement by the author.
Question 10: give one statement written by the author of the above text.
Answer: A. investigating the way different cultures make and use objects.
Supporting Statement: but with the specific purpose of learning how such societies use material culture…
Keywords: specific purpose of learning, material culture
Keyword Location: Section D, lines 4-5
Explanation: archaeology has an active role in the field of conservation of the past remains which were used to know the habits and cultures of the past. These archaeologists will investigate the way in which different cultures in the past led their life and they also make use of the remains of the different parts of the old objects and use them in a completely efficient way. This is the correct statement but the remaining statements were also correct but are not related to the context of this passage.
Questions 11-14
Complete the summary of the last two paragraphs of Reading Passage.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
Much of the work of archaeologists can be done using written records but they find …(11)… equally valuable. The writer describes archaeology as both a …(12)… and a …(13)… However, as archaeologists do not try to influence human behavior, the writer compares their style of working to that of a …(14)…
Question 11
Answer: Oral histories
Supporting Statement: but in no way lessens the importance of the useful information contained in oral histories.
Keywords: useful information, oral histories
Keyword Location: Section E, last two lines
Explanation: the act of working with the oral histories along with the written records will give knowledge about many unkn0wn historical facts. Hence the sentence oral histories will fit the place according to the passage.
Question 12
Answer: humanistic study
Supporting Statement: Since the aim of archaeology is the understanding of humankind, it is a humanistic study…
Keywords: archaeology, humankind, human past
Keyword Location: Section F, lines 1-2
Explanation: the archaeology aims to understand the human kind and hence, is known as the humanistic study thereby portraying it as the study of the human beings on earth
Question 13
Answer: historical discipline
Supporting Statement: it is a humanistic study, and since it deals with the human past, it is a historical discipline.
Keywords: humanistic study, human past
Keyword Location: Section F, lines 1-2
Explanation: The writer describes archaeology as an integral two important things. When we check the passage for the answer, the writer explains that the main aim of archaeology is understanding humankind which is known as humanistic study. The other one as it deals with the human’s past and history, which comes under the historic discipline. Hence the two words humanistic study, historical discipline will fill the blanks with correct meaning according to the passage.
Question 14
Answer: Scientist
Supporting Statement: the practice of the archaeologist is rather like that of the scientist.
Keywords: practice of the archaeologist
Keyword Location: Section F, lines 6-9
Explanation: The objects which the archaeologists find will tell us nothing directly in themselves. Taking this as an example, the author compared the practice of the archaeologist to that of a scientist. They find out the hidden things and the reasons for nature’s well being and this also makes them honored to be compared with that of the scientists. Hence the author mentioned that this would be a good comparison with that of a scientist.
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