Glossary - Simpler Definitions

Question 1

absolute dating

Answer 1

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

Question 2

alluvium

Answer 2

sediment that has been deposited by moving water

Question 3

alluvial plain

Answer 3

• a land area formed by the accumulation of sediment over time
• soil found in these areas are typically excellent for agriculture

Question 4

antiquarianism

Answer 4

the practice of collecting archaeological materials out of curiosity or for financial gain

Question 5

antiquarians

Answer 5

aficionados of history, occasionally educated in the subject, but are typically motivated by a personal collection of artifacts instead of academic study

Question 6

archaeology

Answer 6

the study of human culture through the study of material culture, landscapes, and sites; the survey and excavations of particular sites; and the analysis of artifacts/ecofacts

Question 7

assemblage

Answer 7

an associated set of contemporary artifact types

Question 8

artefact/artifact

Answer 8

any object which has been modified for human use; are the basic components of material culture

Question 9

bioarchaeologist

Answer 9

archaeologists who study human remains excavated from archaeological sites

Question 10

cadastral map

Answer 10

a map that depicts the extent of land boundaries and ownership

Question 11

cartography

Answer 11

the study and practice of making maps

Question 12

cataract

Answer 12

shallow areas in the ancient Nile River where riverine transport was prevented due to sediment deposits and/or large stones

Question 13

Chaîne opératoire

Answer 13

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

Question 14

context

Answer 14

• a term used in archaeology to identify the smallest units within an excavation (often used to refer to different types of strata)
• more broadly used to refer to the position, setting or circumstance that an object, person or building can be found within or comes from

Question 15

cosmology

Answer 15

literally, the scientific study of the origin and evolution of the universe. in an archaeological context, it refers to humanity’s metaphysical relationship to the world, which is critically important to social structure, religious traditions, daily activities and more. often expressed in art, literature, and myth/folklore traditions, the layer of cities, and the the use of artifacts

Question 16

cuneiform

Answer 16

a wedge-shaped writing script used in ancient Mesopotamia and Iran to express the ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Elamite languages; written by using a reed stylus into tablets of clay

Question 17

diachronic

Answer 17

a phenomena as it occurs or changes across time

Question 18

ecofact

Answer 18

natural materials that have been used by humans ; includes remains of plants/animals that were eaten by a given community and other organic material recovered from archaeological sites that are relevant to ancient ecology

Question 19

fieldwalking

Answer 19

a non-intrusive method of archaeological survey in which teams of archaeologists walk the length of a large survey areas in transects while documenting observed finds

Question 20

holloway

Answer 20

a road or a track created by the movement of animals and humans that is lower in grade than the land on either side

Question 21

Hieratic script

Answer 21

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

Question 22

landscape

Answer 22

the physical world as it is shaped, engaged with, experienced, and conceptualized by humankind; refers to a person or society’s relationship with the surrounding environment

Question 23

LiDAR

Answer 23

• 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; helpful for mapping heavily wooded areas

Question 24

magnetometry

Answer 24

a technique for surveying and mapping subsurface magnetic patterns; different deposits have different magnetic signatures that reflect the shape of site features

Question 25

material culture

Answer 25

a term used to describe the objects produced by human beings

Question 26

Mesopotamia

Answer 26

the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and home to the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians; means “between the two rivers” in ancient Greek

Question 27

Ostraca/Ostracon

Answer 27

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

Question 28

palimpsest

Answer 28

something reused or altered bearing traces of its original form; may refer to a landscape with visible traces of human activity

Question 29

paleobotany

Answer 29

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

Question 30

paleography

Answer 30

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

Question 31

paleopathologist

Answer 31

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

Question 32

papyrus

Answer 32

a paper-like material made from a papyrus plant used as a writing surface; largely used in Egypt due to abundant amounts of material

Question 33

relative dating

Answer 33

scientific methods of placing the dates of objects and events in chronological order relative to other events or objects (stratigraphy or seriation)

Question 34

remote sensing

Answer 34

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

Question 35

seriation

Answer 35

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

Question 36

space and place

Answer 36

• space is the measurable and mathematical dimensions of a particular area
• place is a space that has been invested with cultural meaning by people
• i.e. the space of a temple is its dimensions, but it is also a place because of the religious experience shared in this space

Question 37

stratigraphy

Answer 37

a form of relative dating in which the study of the order and position of layers of archaeological remains; relies upon a scientific law known as the Law of Superposition

Question 38

Law of Superposition

Answer 38

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 known as strata; the oldest strata will be placed at the bottom, newer strata will be at the top

Question 39

taphonomy

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Terminus Ante Quem

Answer 40

the latest possible date for something; means “limit before which”

Question 41

Terminus Post Quem

Answer 41

the earliest possible date for something; means “limit after which”

Question 42

Three Age System

Answer 42

a system of relative dating that arranges archaeological materials chronologically into three ages; Stone, Bronze, and Iron; was popularized by Danish archaeologist Christian Jurgensen Thomsen and considered revolutionary because it was the first system used to prioritize artifacts in establishing chronologies

Question 43

topography

Answer 43

the shape and features of land surfaces; refers to the study of surface features and their representation in maps

Question 44

transhumance

Answer 44

the human transport of pastoral animals based on the seasonal use of landscapes

Question 45

votice

Answer 45

a sacred object offered as a gift to a god