Glossary Flashcards
Absolute Dating
methods of dating archaeological materials that provide precise dates expressed in calendrical years
Alluvium
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
Antiquarianism
- 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
Archaeology
- 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
assemblage
an associated set of contemporary artifact types
artefact/artifact
- any object which as been modified, fashioned, or manufactured according to a set of humanly imposed attributes
- basic components of material culture
bioarchaeologist
archaeologists who study human remains excavated from archaeological sites
cadastral map
a map that depicts the extent of land boundaries and ownership
cartography
the study and practice of making maps
cataract
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
Chaîne opératoire
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
Context
- 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
Cosmology
- 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
cuneiform
- 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
diachronic
a phenomena as it occurs or changes across time
ecofact
- 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
fieldwalking
- 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
holloway
- 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
Hieratic script
a cursive writing script used for writing ancient Egyptian languages such as Archaic, Old, Middle, and Late Egyptian as well as Demotic
landscape
- 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
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
- 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
magnetometry
- 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
material culture
a term used to describe the objects produced by human beings
Mesopotamia
- 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
Ostraca (pl.) / Ostracon (s.)
artifacts that have been reused as writing surfaces, such as potsherds, ceramic tiles, and small pieces of stone
Palimpsest
- 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
Paleobotany
the collection and study of plant remains from the geological and archaeological record
Paleography
the study of ancient and historical handwriting for deciphering, reading, and dating texts
Paleopathologist
a specialist that studies ancient diseases and ailments found in the archaeological record
Papyrus
- 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
Relative Dating
scientific methods of placing the dates of objects and events in chronological order relative to other events or objects, such as stratigraphy or seriation
Remote Sensing
the use of satellite imaging and aerial photography for the detection of archaeological features
Seriation
a relative dating method in which artifacts or assemblages from numerous sites are associated with each other and placed in chronological order
Space and Place
- 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
Stratigraphy
- 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
Law of Superposition
- 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
Taphonomy
the process in which objects and sites enter and form the archaeological record after their use life
Terminus Ante Quem
- the latest possible date for something
- literally “limit before which”
Terminus Post Quem
- the earliest possible date for something
- literally “limit after which”
Three Age System
- 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)
Topography
- the shape and features of land surfaces
- also refers to the study of surface features and their representation in maps
Transhumance
a type of pastoralism that involves the seasonal use of landscapes, typically splitting times of the year between winter and summer pastures
Votive
a sacred object offered as a gift to a god
