Aurignacian

In the classic French Upper Palaeolithic sequence, the Aurignacian falls before the Solutrian and the Magda-lenian. In modem usage only the old ‘middle Aurignacian’ is still called Aurignacian. In France, radiocarbon dates place it mainly between about 35,000 and 25,000 years ago. However, there ...

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Aunjetitz

Earlier name for the Czechoslovakian site and Early Bronze Age culture of

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Aunjetitz

Au-lac

A kingdom in northern Vietnam, founded by the king of Thue (an unidentified country to the north) in 258 bc on the ruins of the kingdom of Vàn-lang. Its capital was at CÓ-Loa, near present-day Hanoi. It was incorporated in 207 bc into the kingdom of Nam-Vièt.

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Au-lac

Augst

[Roman Augusta Rauricorum]. A Roman colonia and frontier post of the Upper Rhine valley near Basel, Switzerland. Although founded in 44 bc by Caesar and L. Munatius Plancus in the territory of the tribe of the Raurici, there seems to be no evidence for occupation before 15 bc. In this year, Tiber...

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Auger

An implement for obtaining samples of buried soil horizons and deposits. Augers are widely used in soil science, but less so on archaeological sites, due to the disturbance of features, layers and artefacts that may be caused.

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Aubrey

John (1626-97). British antiquary who worked mainly in southern England and produced detailed accounts of the monuments of Avebury and Stonehenge. The 56 pits inside the bank of the first phase of Stonehenge are known as the Aubrey holes, after their discoverer.

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Aubrey

Attic

(1) Relating to Athens, or the surrounding area of Attica. (2) The particular dialect of Greek spoken and written in classical Athens, especially in the 5th century bc. This dialect was originally only one of a number of differing regional forms, but, by the accident of Athenian cultural history,...

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Atrium

Latin term for the entrance-hall of a Roman house, as seen, for instance, in the many examples at Pompeii. Early versions may have been roofed over, but the pattern soon established was of compluvium (a rectangular opening in the roof) over a central impluvium (shallow pool in the floor, drained ...

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Atria

Atranjikhera

Settlement site in Uttar Pradesh in northern India with a series of occupation levels. The earliest level had Ochre-coloured pottery; this was succeeded by a level with Black and Red ware, which was itself followed by a series of layers with Painted Grey ware, which also produced iron tools and w...

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Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Principles. A sample is dissolved and then atomized in a flame. A beam of light, of carefully controlled wavelength, is shone through the flame to a detector on the other side. The wavelength is selected so that atoms of the element under study will absorb some of the light. Concentrations of thi...

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Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Atlitian

An Upper Palaeolithic assemblage named after the site of Atlit in the Mount Carmel area of Israel. The sequence of Upper Palaeolithic deposits in the east Mediterranean includes several layers with AuRiGNACiAN-like assemblages. The level which followed these in the Mount Carmel sequence was terme...

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Atlatl

An American term for a spear-thrower, or device for increasing thrust when throwing a spear or similar projectile, by extending the length of the thrower’s arm. Usually it consists of a flat board or rod with a means of gripping at one end and a notch or hook to retain the projectile at the other...

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Atlantic Bronze Age

Late Bronze Age metal-working tradition found on the west coast of France, spreading to southern England and Iberia; alternatively known as the Carp’s Tongue Sword complex. It is known mainly from a large number of hoards, which include not only the characteristic swords, but also end-winged axes...

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Atlantic

A climatic division of the Fland-rian period. Godwin’s pollen zone Vila corresponds to the Atlantic period in Britain. On botanical grounds, the Atlantic period is supposed to have represented a maximum of temperature, the ‘climatic optimum’ of the Flandrian. Evidence from beetles, however, sugge...

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Atlantic

Athens

Major classical Greek city-state in Attica with evidence for continous occupation since the Mycenaean period. Most literary sources are decisively pro-Athenian, and Athenian cultural dominance has been such that this bias often still persists in contemporary scholarship. The geographical position...

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Ateste

See Este.

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Ateste

Aterian

Widely distributed Upper Pleistocene stone industry of northern Africa. It appears to have developed, perhaps initially in the Maghreb of Algeria and Morocco, from the local Mousterian tradition. The date at which the Aterian first appeared is not well attested, but may have been c80,000 bc. The ...

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Atchana

Mound on the Amuq plain of northern Syria, identified as the ancient city of Alalakh. Excavations by Woolley in the early part of the century revealed occupation levels running from the 4th to the late 2nd millennium bc. In level VII, dated to the 18th and 17th centuries bc, the palace of Yaram-L...

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