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Archaeology - Intro to NE & Egypt > Glossary > Flashcards

Glossary Flashcards

1
Q

Absolute Dating

A

methods of dating archaeological materials that provide precise dates expressed in calendrical years

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2
Q

Alluvium

A

sediment that has been deposited be moving water. An alluvial plain refers to a land area that has been formed by the accumulation of riverine sediments over time. this type of soil tends to be excellent for agriculture

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3
Q

Antiquarianism

A
  • the practice of collecting archaeological materials out of curiosity or for financial gain
  • antiquarians are typically aficionados of history and archaeology, sometimes with formal training in archaeological practice, but are motivated by the personal collection of artifacts as opposed to academic study
  • the discipline of archaeology has its roots in antiquarian collecting
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4
Q

Archaeology

A
  • the study of human culture through the study of material culture, landscapes, and sites
  • this often involves the survey and excavation of particular sites and regions
  • archaeology also includes the analysis of artifacts and ecofacts in museums and laboratories, satellite and aerial imagery (remote sensing), and artwork
  • in some cases archaeology also involves the study of historical evidence through texts
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5
Q

assemblage

A

an associated set of contemporary artifact types

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6
Q

artefact/artifact

A
  • any object which as been modified, fashioned, or manufactured according to a set of humanly imposed attributes
  • basic components of material culture
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7
Q

bioarchaeologist

A

archaeologists who study human remains excavated from archaeological sites

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8
Q

cadastral map

A

a map that depicts the extent of land boundaries and ownership

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9
Q

cartography

A

the study and practice of making maps

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10
Q

cataract

A

shallow areas in the ancient Nile River that were broken up by sediment deposits and/or large stones, preventing the flow of riverine transport. there are 6 cataracts in the Nile

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11
Q

Chaîne opératoire

A

a method of archaeological analysis that prioritizes the technical process of making objects, alongside social inputs of their production, to describe an object’s overall production, use, and disposal

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12
Q

Context

A
  • a term used within archaeology to identify the smallest units within an excavation
  • can be used to refer to different types of strata e.g. layers, cuts, fills
  • more broadly this term can also be used to refer to the position, setting or circumstance that an object, person or building can be found within or comes from
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13
Q

Cosmology

A
  • literally, the scientific study of the origin and evolution of the universe
  • for archaeologists, cosmology refers to humanity’s metaphysical (i.e. beyond the physical, material) relationship to the world
  • A society’s relationship to the cosmos is critically important to social structure, religious traditions, daily activities, experience of “space and place” and the rhythms of life
  • very often expressed in art, literature, myth and folklore traditions, that layout of cities, the structure of the household, sacred ritual, and the use of artifacts
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14
Q

cuneiform

A
  • a writing script used in ancient Mesopotamia and Iran to express the ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Elamite languages (as well as some others)
  • known for its wedge-shaped system of signs
  • was written by pressing a reed stylus into tablets of unbaked clay
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15
Q

diachronic

A

a phenomena as it occurs or changes across time

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16
Q

ecofact

A
  • strictly, natural materials that have been used by humans, i.e. the remains of plants and animals that were eaten by a given community
  • more generally taken as material covered from archaeological sites, or other sealed deposits, which is relevant to the study of ancient environments and ecology
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17
Q

fieldwalking

A
  • a non-intrusive method of archaeological survey
  • involves a team of archaeologists walking the length of large survey areas in transects and documenting observed finds and sites along the way
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18
Q

holloway

A
  • a road or track that is lower in grade than the land on either side
  • visible on satellite imagery and on the ground in parts of Syria and Iraq
  • created by the movement of animals and humans
19
Q

Hieratic script

A

a cursive writing script used for writing ancient Egyptian languages such as Archaic, Old, Middle, and Late Egyptian as well as Demotic

20
Q

landscape

A
  • the physical world as it is shaped, engaged with, experienced, and conceptualized by humanking
  • specifically refers to a person’s or society’s own relationship with the surrounding environment
  • different to the natural environment, which refers to everything natural irrespective of the existence of human beings
21
Q

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

A
  • a survey method that uses laser light to detect and display ground surface features through the reflection of light off of that surface
  • particularly useful for mapping archaeological sites in heavily wooded areas
22
Q

magnetometry

A
  • a technique for surveying and mapping subsurface magnetic patterns
  • rock and certain types of deposits (i.e. burnt material) retain a magnetic signature that reflects the shape of site features
23
Q

material culture

A

a term used to describe the objects produced by human beings

24
Q

Mesopotamia

A
  • the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and home to the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians
  • literally meaning “between the two rivers” in ancient Greek
25
Q

Ostraca (pl.) / Ostracon (s.)

A

artifacts that have been reused as writing surfaces, such as potsherds, ceramic tiles, and small pieces of stone

26
Q

Palimpsest

A
  • something reused or altered bearing traces of its original form
  • might refer to a landscape with visible traces of human activity across a broad period of time
27
Q

Paleobotany

A

the collection and study of plant remains from the geological and archaeological record

28
Q

Paleography

A

the study of ancient and historical handwriting for deciphering, reading, and dating texts

29
Q

Paleopathologist

A

a specialist that studies ancient diseases and ailments found in the archaeological record

30
Q

Papyrus

A
  • a paper-like material made from a papyrus plant and used as a writing surface
  • was abundant in Egypt and thus very common for writing
31
Q

Relative Dating

A

scientific methods of placing the dates of objects and events in chronological order relative to other events or objects, such as stratigraphy or seriation

32
Q

Remote Sensing

A

the use of satellite imaging and aerial photography for the detection of archaeological features

33
Q

Seriation

A

a relative dating method in which artifacts or assemblages from numerous sites are associated with each other and placed in chronological order

34
Q

Space and Place

A
  • a space is the measurable and mathematical dimensions of a particular area
  • a place is a space that has been invested with cultural meaning by people
  • i.e. the space of a temple/mosque/synagogue/church refers to its physical dimensions in terms of length/width/height, but each of these buildings are places because of the experience of the sacred in these spaces
35
Q

Stratigraphy

A
  • the study of the order and position of layers of archaeological remains
  • relies upon scientific law originally applied to Geology known as the “Law of Superposition”
  • a form of relative dating
36
Q

Law of Superposition

A
  • follows the principle that if one makes a deep vertical cut into the earth, one will see various layers of rock, sediment, and archaeological materials
  • layers are known as strata
  • states that the oldest strata will be situated at the bottom of the sequence of layers
  • newer strata will be above older strata
37
Q

Taphonomy

A

the process in which objects and sites enter and form the archaeological record after their use life

38
Q

Terminus Ante Quem

A
  • the latest possible date for something

- literally “limit before which”

39
Q

Terminus Post Quem

A
  • the earliest possible date for something

- literally “limit after which”

40
Q

Three Age System

A
  • a system of relative dating that arranges archaeological materials chronologically into three ages: The Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age
  • was revolutionary for historical and archaeological sciences in first establishing a system for the relative dating of artifacts
  • was the first dating system to prioritize artifacts in establishing chronologies
  • described in ancient myths of Hesiod and Lucretius, but modernly popularized by Danish archaeologist Christian Jurgensen Thomsen (1788-1865)
41
Q

Topography

A
  • the shape and features of land surfaces

- also refers to the study of surface features and their representation in maps

42
Q

Transhumance

A

a type of pastoralism that involves the seasonal use of landscapes, typically splitting times of the year between winter and summer pastures

43
Q

Votive

A

a sacred object offered as a gift to a god

Archaeology - Intro to NE & Egypt (3 decks)

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