Mohs Scale

A scale from 1 to 10 used to determine the hardness of minerals, talc being 1 and diamond being 10. It is a rough measure of the resistance of a smooth surface to scratching or abrasion, expressed in terms of a scale devised in 1812 by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs. The Mohs hardness of ...

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Mohs Scale

Cortés, Hernán

The Spanish conqueror of the Aztec empire and founder of the colony of New Spain. After arriving in 1519 near Yucatán, he founded the city of Veracruz and marched to Tenochtitlán. He captured Moctezuma, the Aztec ruler, was later driven out, but returned to conquer and destroy the city in 1521.

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Cortés, Hernán

Cleavage Surface

A surface formed by a separation of the rock along a natural cleavage plane or crack, esp. on quartz crystals, slate, petrified wood

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Cleavage Surface

Apepi

An evil serpent- or snake-god, whose name was adopted by at least one Hyksos pharaoh (Apopis I, c 1585-1542 BC) who ruled a large area of Egypt in the Second Intermediate Period. The deity symbolized the forces of chaos and evil. Apophis is represented on funerary papyri and on the walls of royal...

archaeologsEnglishGod Names

Apepi

Denalian Culture

A prehistoric culture or complex of central Alaska (the Tangle Lakes) dating to c 10,500-7000 BC. Similar to the Siberian Dyuktai (Diuktai) culture and defined by H. West in 1967, it is characterized by wedge-shaped microcores, microblades, burins, and bifacial points, scrapers on flakes, and lar...

archaeologsEnglishCultures

Denalian Culture

Bone China

White porcelain containing the mineral residue of burnt bones

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Bone China

Synostosis

The joining of separate pieces of bone in human skeletons; the union or two or more separate bones to form a single bone. The precise timing of such processes is an important indicator of age.

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Synostosis

Maxton

Early Iron Age site in central Zimbabwe of the 11th century AD; also the name of the late phase culture. The sites are often on hilltops with stone walls.

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Maxton

Selective Excavation

The archaeological excavation of parts of a site using sampling methods or carefully placed trenches but which do not uncover the entire site.

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Selective Excavation

Osorkon

Libyan name held by five rulers of the 21st-23rd Dynasties as their birth name or nomen. The fifth king of the 21st dynasty, Osorkon I (ruled c 979-973 BC), was of Libyan descent and probably was an ancestor of the 22nd dynasty, which followed a generation later. From his time to the 26th dynasty...

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Osorkon

Classic Example

A subjective term used to refer to a specific point specimen which represents the truest form of a particular point type or blade.

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Classic Example

Protohistoric

The transition period between the prehistoric and historic eras

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Protohistoric

Status, Achieved

The social rights and duties attributed to individuals according to achievement rather than inherited social position. An individual would work to gain a particular achieved status.

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Status, Achieved

Spitsyn Culture

Early Upper Palaeolithic culture on the Don River in European Russia, dating to c 40,000-30,000 bp. Its artifacts include burins, retouched blades and scrapers, bone tools and ornaments.

archaeologsEnglishCultures

Spitsyn Culture

Primary Silt

The initial silt from the top and sides of a newly dug feature (ditch, gully, pit, etc.) that falls naturally to the bottom. It occurs as a result of the immediate weathering of the sides and top due to wind or the action of precipitation. Unless the feature was cleaned of this material in antiqu...

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Primary Silt

Envelope

A hollow clay ball of spherical, ovoid, or oblong shape holding tokens and usually bearing seal impressions. Clay envelopes, dating from 3500 BC, have markings corresponding to the clay shapes inside. Moreover, these markings are more or less similar to the shapes drawn on clay tablets that date ...

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Envelope

Cooking Pot

A term usually used for jars or bowls which are known from soot encrustation to have been used for cooking.

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Cooking Pot

Rounding

In pottery, rounding terms used are angular 'convex shape, sharp corners,' subangular 'convex shape, rounded-off corners,' rounded 'convex shape, no corners,' irregular 'convex/concave shape,' or flat 'two-dimensional shape'

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Rounding

Diatomite

Microfossils formed from the silicate exoskeletons of diatoms found in marine or fresh water. Different species are associated with different habitats, so examples in archaeological deposits can yield information on the changing environment.

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Diatomite

Tip

The top and bottom of a point or blade

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Tip

Mixed Farming

A form of intensive agriculture consisting of domesticated animal and crop production as food sources where the maintenance of soil fertility results from the use of animal manure as fertilizer.

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Mixed Farming

Annular Ring Nail

A nail with sharp-edged ridges that lock into wood fibers and greatly increase holding power

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Annular Ring Nail

Iconic Style

A somewhat deliberate use of style to signal group membership and other information symbolically; cf. isochrestic style.

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Iconic Style

Gua Cha

A large limestone rock shelter in central Malaysia, occupied from c 10,000/8000 BC and 1000 AD. The lowest level is Hoabinhian, spanning 8000-1000 BC with burials. Neolithic burials with southern Thai / Ban Kao pottery affinities span c 1000 BC-1000 AD. Stone tools span the transition. A similar ...

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Gua Cha

Contract Archaeology

Archaeological work conducted under the direction and regulations of governments or other agencies, especially under the aegis of federal or state legislation, and often in advance of highway construction or urban development. Archaeologists are contracted to undertake research to protect cultura...

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Contract Archaeology