Response to the following multiple choice questions:
Question 1. According to Cummings, meat is important in foraging economies because:
it serves as an example where there is no sexual division of labor
foragers require meat to obtain proper nutrition
a variety of useful products are obtained from animals, and meat is storable
it always represents majority of calories known foraging groups consume
our ancestors did not eat meat
Question 2. Based on the description in the reading, hunting is an activity that:
can be quite wasteful if not done properly
is too strenuous for women to participate
none of these
usually requires a large workforce
varies in its workload, methods, and risks
Question 3. Hunting and obtaining meat:
seems to confer status on individuals because of the risks involved
consumes a large amount of time
is the most efficient way of obtaining calories in foraging societies
is viewed as an essential contribution of individuals to group welfare
Question 4. Egalitarianism can be defined as:
everyone in a group is equal
all members of a group have equal access to status
the requirement that individuals share everything
a system of exchange between equal partners
Question 5 . Animism refers to a set of beliefs where:
a ritual specialist can 'animate' spirits to continuously circulate between all parts of the environment
people worship inanimate objects as if they were alive
the entirety of the natural world is imbued with spirits, and so people avoid hunting as much as possible since animals possess them like humans
the entirety of the natural world is imbued with spirits, and animals are frequently seen as spiritually interchangeable with humans
Question 6. Gathering provides:
except in certain extreme environments, often provides the bulk of calories for foraging groups
an unpredictable source of calories, which is why people focus so much on hunting
a supplement to hunted meat for a balanced diet in foraging groups
none of these
is exclusively conducted by women
Question 7. According to Cummings, the 'status' of gathered foods is likely not related to:
the narrow range of edible plants in many environments
their reliability and general ease to obtain versus meat (and honey)
belief systems that categorize plants--and other foods associated with them--as dissimilar from humans
the relative status of women in foraging communities
Question 8. One implication of the distinction between 'immediate' and 'delayed' return foraging economies is:
the former only exist in marginal environments
many spheres of social life are interconnected, and people make choices given their particular circumstances
individuals in a social group are more dependent on each other in the latter type
investments in material culture and planning require a chief
Question 9. In his discussion of reciprocity as an exchange system, Harris suggests that for small-scale societies it functions like a:
bank
feast
gift
hunt
Question 10. In a society that functions on reciprocity and sharing, "free-loaders" do not usually present a major threat to the system because:
everyone is aware of who contributes, and shun those who engage in those behaviors
none of these
it is never worth an individual's time to confront such "theft"
there are no judges, so conflicts turn violent
they are able to sneak items in secret so no one observes their behavior
Reference: The Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers:Key Themes for Archeologists by Vicki Cummings.