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Performance Task

Archaeology

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Reconstructing The Past

Reconstructing The Past

You are an archaeologist learning about the daily lives of an ancient civilization. You discover the fragments of a circular plate shown.

Use one of the fragments and the mathematical relationships in this chapter to find the diameter of the original plate. Explain each step so that other archaeologists can replicate your method.


photograph of shards composing a circular, ceramic place

Did You Know?

  • The word archaeology comes from the Greek word arkhaios, meaning 'ancient'.
  • Some ancient civilizations had complex writing systems that archaeologists and linguists are still working to decipher.
  • Today, in most countries, archaeological remains become the property of the country where they were found, regardless of who finds them.
  • Underwater archaeologists study materials at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and oceans. The same basic archaeological process applies, the artifacts are simply submerged.

Find Out More – Search Topics

  • Archaological facts
  • Subfields of archaeology