Archaeoastronomy Coursera Quiz Answers

Get All Weeks Archaeoastronomy Coursera Quiz Answers

Week 01 Quiz Answers

Astronomy with the naked eye: how the ancients saw the sky

Q1. The declination of the sun on a certain day:

depends on the latitude of the observer
is everyday the same
can be calculated if azimuth and height of the sun are known
depends on the longitude of the observer

Q2.You are in central Europe and the horizon in the whole south-west quadrant is occupied by a mountain ridge. Then you can be sure that the azimuth of the setting sun at winter solstice will be:

equal to that with a flat horizon
greater than that with a flat horizon
equal to the declination of the sun
lesser than that with a flat horizon

Q3.You are in Mexico and the horizon in the whole south-west quadrant is occupied by a mountain ridge. Then you can be sure that the declination of the setting sun at winter solstice:

will be less than -23.5°
will be equal to -23.5°
will be greater than -23.5°
will depend on the height of the ridge

Q4. It is true that :

Precession slowly changes the culmination of the sun at the equinoxes
Precession slowly changes the declination of the sun at the equinoxes
Precession slowly changes the constellation background of the sun at the equinoxes
Precession slowly changes the azimuth of the sun at the equinoxes

Q5. It is true that:

At the tropics the sun does always culminate overhead
At the tropics the sun culminates overhead twice a year
At the tropics the sun culminates overhead once a year
At the tropics the sun does never culminate overhead

Week 02

Astronomy, power and architecture

Q1. It is true that:

Monumental architecture started with the arrival of homo Sapiens in Europe
Monumental architecture started with the introduction of agriculture
Monumental architecture started before the introduction of agriculture
Monumental architecture started with the Neanderthals

Q2.The term “worldview” means:

A framework of notions, social structures and religious beliefs
A scientific description of nature
A purely superstitious description of nature
None of the above

Q3. Stonehenge first phase:

was a henge, perhaps with a circle of wooden posts
was built with Sarsen and blue stones
was built with bluestones
was built with Sarsen stones

Q4. It is true that:

since the axis of Stonehenge points to winter solstice sunrise and the horizon in both directions is flat, it necessarily also points to summer solstice sunset
since the axis of Stonehenge points to winter solstice sunrise, it necessarily also points to summer solstice sunset
since the axis of Stonehenge points to summer solstice sunrise, it necessarily also points to winter solstice sunset
since the axis of Stonehenge points to summer solstice sunrise and the horizon in both directions is flat, it necessarily also points to winter solstice sunset

Q5. Newgrange…

…was built in such a way that the midwinter sun at rising penetrates from the entrance to the chamber
…was built in such a way that the midwinter sun at rising penetrates from the roofbox to the chamber
…was built in such a way that the midwinter sun at setting penetrates from the entrance to the chamber
…was built in such a way that the midwinter sun at setting penetrates from the roofbox to the chamber

Week 03

Ancient Egypt

Q1. In the Pyramid Texts, the “Imperishable”are:

Only the stars of Draco
All the circumpolar stars
The stars of Orion
Orion and Sirius

Q2. During the Old Kingdom in Egypt…

…there was a different pole star, Thuban
…there was the same pole star as ours, Polaris
…there was no pole star
…there was a different pole star, Kochab

Q3. The channels of the Great Pyramid of Giza…

…were meant to observe the stars from inside
…were symbolic channels to the stars for the deceased pharaoh
…were added at the end of the construction
…were constructed to assure ventilation of the pyramid

Q4. The horizon visibility of a standing person is:

limited to a maximum of 5 Kms, unless what occupies the horizon is in itself high
the sum of 5 Kms and the horizon visibility of the object she/he is looking at
always limited to a maximum of about 5 Kms
limited only by her/his viewing capacity

Q5. The ancient Egyptian calendar…

…was made of four seasons
…was identical to the Julian calendar
…was loosing a bit less of one day every four tropical years
…was synchronous with the tropical year

Week04

The Pre-Columbian world

Q1. If the 260 days of the Tzolkin calendar represent the interval between two zenith passages of the sun, this was because…

…this interval was measured at the latitude of Copan
…this interval was measured at Copan
…this is the interval between two passages in the Maya area
…this is the interval between two passages at latitudes grater than that of Copan

Q2. The 3 Maya calendars…

…wereall based on the Venus cycle
…were put in operation one after the other
…were all based on the tropical year
…were operated simultaneously

Q3. The main calendar round Maya dates…

…occurred every 52 Tuns
…occurred every 52 Haab years
…occurred every 52 Tzolkin years
…occurred every 52 Unials

Q4. The Torreon of Macchu Picchu…

…was built by the Spaniards
…has a window oriented to the sun rising at the winter solstice
…has a window oriented to the sun rising on December
…has a window oriented to the sun rising at the summer solstice

Q5. The Inca empire…

…was destroyed by the conquest
…was already vanished at conquest’s times
…was based on a alliance of towns
…extended from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast

Week05

Archaeoastronomy in Asia

Q1. The so-called Terracotta Army:

belongs to the funerary equipment of the tomb of the first emperor of Qin.
belongs to the funerary equipment of the tomb of the first emperor of Han.
is unexcavated and lies under a huge artificial mound.
is made of a great number of miniaturistic terracotta warriors.

Q2. In Chinese astronomy:

the polar region of the sky was viewed as a celestial image of the Emperor’s palace.
the southern region of the sky was viewed as a celestial image of the Emperor’s palace.
the polar region of the sky was viewed as centered in the star Polaris.
the polar region of the sky was viewed as centered in the star Kochab.

Q3. Of the Chinese “pyramids”:

all are oriented precisely to the cardinal points.
most are oriented to the setting sun at the summer solstice.
only a part is oriented precisely to the cardinal points.
are randomly oriented.

Q4. The temple of Angkor Wat, from the main entrance looking in:

has an azimuth precisely equal to zero.
has an azimuth precisely equal to 90°.
has an azimuth slighlty greater than 90°.
has an azimuth slighlty smaller that 90°.

Q5.Most of the state temples of Angkor are oriented in such a way that the sun, looking from the main entrance, is seen to set “inside ” the temples at the equinoxes. This means that they:

have an azimuth precisely equal to zero.
have an azimuth precisely equal to 90°.
have an azimuth slighlty greater than 270°.
have an azimuth slighlty smaller than 270°.

Week 06

The Classical world

Q1. The Greek temples…

…were meant to be visited by worshipers everyday
…were meant to be admired only from outside
…were meant to be visited by worshipers only on ritual days

Q2. The Greek temples of Sicil

…are for the vast majority oriented to the solstices
…are for the vast majority oriented in the arc of the setting sun
…are for the vast majority oriented in the arc of the rising sun

Q3. Augustus’ birth sign…

…was Scorpio, but he adopted the Capricorn for political reasons
…was the Capricorn
…was Libra, but he adopted the Capricorn for political reasons

Q4. One axis of the urban plan of Roman Aosta points to:

winter solstice sunrise
summer solstice sunrise
winter solstice sunrise and therefore summer solstice sunset

Q5. The main hierophany of the Pantheon in Rome…

1 point

…occurs at the summer solstice
…was meant to occur on the 21 of April, but of course also occurs on 20 August
…occurs once a year only, on the 21 of April

Week 07

Astronomy insight

Q1. The declination of Sirius in the year 3006 BC…

…was the same as today
…cannot be specified without knowing the latitude of the observer
…was -23,5°
…was -22,5°

Q2. Today you are in Rome, at dawn, looking at an azimuth of 99°. You see the sun rising from behind a hill which is 10° high.

Today is the spring equinox
Today it is either the spring or the autumn equinox
Today is the winter solstice
Today is the autumn equinox

Q3. Suppose that you see the sun at the spring equinox rising close to the position of the star Tau Tauri. Then you can be only one among the following:

a builder of the megalithic tomb of Newgrange, Ireland
a builder of the Chartres Cathedral
a builder of the Egyptian pyramids of Giza
a builder of the Pantheon in Rome

Q4. It is true that:

Venus does never attain a declination greater than that of the moon at the northern minimal standstill
Venus does never attain a declination greater than that of the moon at the northern maximal standstill
Venus does never attain a declination greater than that of the moon at the southern maximal standstill
Venus does never attain a declination greater than that of the sun at the summer solstice

Q5. The maximal standstills of the moon were last reached in 2006. That year then:

the full moon closest in time to the winter solstice had a rising azimuth less than that of the sun at the summer solstice
the full moon closest in time to the summer solstice had a rising azimuth less than that of the sun at the winter solstice
the full moon closest in time to the winter solstice had a rising azimuth greater than that of the sun at the summer solstice
the full moon closest in time to the winter solstice had a rising azimuth greater than that of the sun at the winter solstice

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