Glossary of archaeology

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Washing-sieving, samples from Calvero de la Higuera, Pinilla del Valle, Madrid, Spain 02

Glossary of Archaeology

This article serves as a comprehensive glossary of terms used in the field of archaeology. Archaeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, and cultural landscapes. This glossary aims to cover a wide range of terms that are essential for understanding archaeological discussions and literature.

A

• Artifact - Any object made or modified by a human culture, and often considered in its cultural and historical context.
• Archaeological site - A place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved.
• Absolute dating - A range of methods for determining the age of an object or site with reference to a fixed time scale, such as a calendar or a chronology.

B

• Bioarchaeology - A sub-discipline of archaeology that focuses on the study of biological materials found in archaeological sites, including human bones, plants, and animal remains.
• Bronze Age - A period in human culture characterized by the use of bronze, and some areas also proto-writing, and other early features of urban civilization.

C

• Ceramic - Pottery or other objects made from clay or a similar substance and hardened by heat.
• Chronology - The arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence.
• Cultural heritage - An expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions, and values.

D

• Dendrochronology - A method of absolute dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree rings.
• DNA analysis - The use of DNA sequencing to study genetic relationships among organisms. In archaeology, it is often used to understand human evolution, migration, and relationships.

E

• Ethnoarchaeology - The study of contemporary peoples to determine how human behavior is translated into the archaeological record.
• Excavation - The process of systematically uncovering archaeological remains through the removal of the layers of deposits that cover them.

F

• Flintknapping - The process of chipping away material from high silica stones like flint in a carefully controlled manner to produce sharp-edged tools and objects.

G

• Geoarchaeology - The application of concepts and methods of the earth sciences to archaeological problems.

H

• Historical archaeology - A branch of archaeology dealing with periods for which written records are available.

I

• Iconography - The study of the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images.

L

• Lithic analysis - The analysis of stone tools and other chipped stone artifacts using basic scientific techniques.

M

• Midden - A dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, pottery, and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation.

N

• Neolithic - The later part of the Stone Age, when ground or polished stone weapons and implements prevailed.

O

• Osteoarchaeology - The study of bones from archaeological sites, including human and animal bones, to understand past diets, health, and societies.

P

• Paleoethnobotany - The study of relationships between people and plants, using the archaeological record to understand the use of plants for food, fuel, medicine, and construction.

R

• Radiocarbon dating - A method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon.

S

• Stratigraphy - The study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). In archaeology, it is used to date sequences of human activity and classify levels of ancient structures.

T

• Typology - The systematic classification of the types of something according to their common characteristics.

Z

• Zooarchaeology - The study of animal remains from archaeological sites with the purpose of reconstructing human diets, economic practices, and environmental relationships.