Ancient Middle America
Midsemester Exam, Fall 2011, Page 1
Anthropology 3618 Ancient Middle America
Midsemester Exam
13 October 2011
Version B
Answer the following FOUR (4) questions are provided by “James” in Moodle. These questions
are generated from the questions you submitted to the class Midterm wiki, plus the addition to
the pool of at least one current affairs question and a question allowing you make up and
answer a question of your choice.
Question 1
The movie Excavations at La Venta was a film about the findings of the Olmecs at La
Venta. What were some of the artifacts and site features found, and how has this
evidence helped archaeologists put together what Olmec society and ideology might
have been like?
Question 2
Make up and answer a question of your own choice relating to a topic having to do with
Ancient Middle America which has not been covered in your other answers, and
concerning a topic related to the materials covered in class up to the midterm exam.
Your optional take-home question must be related to the materials covered in this
exam. Do not write an exam question about a topic scheduled for later in the semester.
Answers should contain specific information supporting your position. Both your
question and your answer will be evaluated.
If you have submitted or plan to submit an Extra Credit report or paper, your question
must be on a topic other than that of your Extra Credit project(s).
Ancient Middle America
Midsemester Exam, Fall 2011, Page 2
Question 3
(A) What is the theory of diffusion, and (B) why was it so prevalent in early archeology,
and so prominent in early studies of Ancient Middle America? (C) Why has it been
largely discredited today?"
Question 4
In the movie "The Fifth World of the Aztecs" we learn of the versatility of the Aztec
people. It was also mentioned several times in class that the Aztecs are very often used
as the model for interpreting pre-Aztec peoples of all of Ancient Middle America. Cactus
was central in many ways to Aztec life. Please give three ways in which the Aztecs
utilized or related to the cactus plant, and discuss each of those three in terms of its
significance in interpreting Ancient Middle America.