Final answer:
The correct answer is A) statically, diachronically. 'Statically' means observing past activities as they were at that time, while 'diachronically' refers to observing the changes of those activities over time, which are long term and not easily changed.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the archaeological record, contemporary activities in the past are shown statically, while changes in those activities over time are shown diachronically. Option A) statically, diachronically is the correct answer. This means that when studying the archaeological record, activities of the past that occurred at roughly the same period are observed as they were at that time, without change, or statically. However, when archaeologists study the changes that have occurred over time to these activities, they are observing them diachronically, reflecting long term, stable, and not easily changed processes.
Examples of diachronic studies in archaeology can include the stratigraphic layers uncovered from the Neolithic period, showing the development of agriculture, or the documentation of trade between communities by looking at the spread of pottery styles. Archaeologists may also use visual anthropology, such as photography and film, to compare and analyze human and physical characteristics of regions across different periods of time.