Glossary of Archeologists Terms

ALLUVIAL : Clay, silt, sand, gravel, or similar detritus material deposited by running water.

ARCHAEOLOGY : The scientific study of physical evidence of past human societies recovered through the excavation. Archaeologists not only attempt to discover and describe past cultures, but also to formulate explanations for the development of cultures.

ARCHAEOLOGIST : Anyone with an interest in the aims and methods of archaeology. A professional archaeologist usually holds a degree in anthropology with a specialization in archaeology and is trained to collect archaeological information in a proper scientific way.

ARCHAIC PERIOD : 8000 B.C. to 1000 B.C., divided in early, middle and late.

ARTIFACT : Any object manufactured, used or modified by humans. Common examples include tools, utensils, art, food remains, and other products of human activity. They can be classified into types. These types reflect function or use, styles from a particular time period, or specific groups of people.

BEDROCK : The solid rock underlying unconsolidated surface materials.

CERAMICS : Pottery and ceramic artifacts.

CEREMONIALISM : Strict attention to what is prescribed by custom or by ritual.

CHERT : A very fine-grained rock formed in ancient ocean sediments. It often has a semi glossy finish and is usually white, pinkish, brown, gray, or blue gray in color. It can be shaped into arrowheads by chipping. It has often been called flint, but true flint is found in chalk deposits and is a distinctive blackish color.

COLLUVIAL : Rock detritus and soil accumulated at the foot of a slope.

COPIOUS : Abundant or productive.

CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: A branch of archaeology that is concerned with developing policies and action in regard to the preservation and use of cultural resources.

CULTURAL RESOURCES : Sites, structures, landscapes, and objects of some importance to a culture or community for scientific, traditional, religious, or other reasons.

DOMESTICATED : To adapt (an animal or plant) to life in intimate association with and to the advantage of humans.

EPSOMITE : A common sulfate mineral, hydrated magnesium sulfate (MgSO47H2O). Its deposits are formed by evaporation of mineral waters.

FAUNA : A Latin term that refers to animal remains, as opposed to flora, which refers to plant remains.

FEATURES : Evidence of human activities visible as disturbances in the soil. Such disturbances are produced by digging pits for storage, setting posts for houses, or by constructing a hearth for cooking. These disturbances are often distinguished by soil discolorations.

FLORESCENCE : To achieve success; to be in a state of activity or production; to reach a height of development or influence.

FLUTE : A long, narrow flake removed from a spear point to aid in the binding of the point to the spear shaft.

GEOARCHEAOLOGY : Sediments and site formation (lithics, dating, sediments, geomorphology).

GEOLOGIST : A person who studies the history of the earth and its life, especially as recorded in rocks.

GYPSUM : A widely distributed mineral consisting of hydrous calcium sulfate that is used especially as a soil amendment and in making plaster of paris.

HISTORIC ARCHEAOLOGY : Analysis of historic sites and artifacts.

HOLOCENE : Last 11,000 years on earth.

HORTICULTURE : The science and art of growing fruit, flowers, ornamental plants, and vegetables in small gardens.

INCISED : A decoration found on pottery consisting of lines drawn into wet clay. When fired, the arrangement of lines leaves a permanent design on the vessel surface.

INTERACTION SPHERE : This term refers to prehistoric groups who shared social interaction and exchanged material goods, through a network made up of long distance trade contacts.

LITHICS : Stone tools and technology.

MATERIAL CULTURE : Is the material means by which humans adapt to the world. Archaeologists think in terms of artifacts and features. These are the material objects that are used to: (1) help determine a sequence of events and dates, (2) formulate a reconstruction of many ways of life, and (3) help to provide us some understanding of why human culture has changed through time.

MEGAFAUNA : Fauna, a Latin term that refers to animal remains, consisting of individuals large enough to be visible to the naked eye.

MIDDEN : Just another word for trash dump. Technically speaking, the layer of soil that contains the byproducts of human activity as the result of the accumulation of materials on their living surface. For prehistoric sites, a layer of soil that was stained to a dark color by the decomposition of organic refuse which also contained food, bones, fragments of stone tools, charcoal, pieces of pottery, or other discarded materials. For historic sites, a similar layer of soil but with appropriate historic material remains often in a much thinner deposit.

MIRABILITE : A widespread sulfate mineral, hydrated sodium sulfate (Na2SO410H2O) that forms efflorescence and crusts, particularly in arid regions. It occurs in deposits from salt lakes, springs, and playas.

MITIGATION : To cause to become less harsh or hostile; to make less severe or painful.

MORTUARY : Relating to the burial of the dead.

NOMADIC : Roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement.

OBSIDIAN : A volcanic glass that is one of the finest raw materials for the chipping of stone tools.

ORAL HISTORY : Verbally transmitted information about past events. Although often providing information about non-written events, such history is subject to the vagaries of human perceptions and mental recall.

PALYNOLOGIST : One who studies plant pollen and spores. Since pollen may be preserved thousands of years it can be used to reconstruct the plant ecology of the past.

PEDOLOGY : The science that deals with the study of soils.

PLEISTOCENE : A geologic period usually thought of as the Ice Age, which began about 1.6 million years ago and ended with the melting of the large continental glaciers creating the modern climatic pattern about 11,500 years ago.

PALEOINDIAN : Archeologists refer to these early American people as PaleoIndians, which means "ancient Indians” or oldest inhabitants.

PREHISTORIC HUNTER : Gatherers or humans who lived prior to written history and depended upon the hunting of wild animals and the gathering of natural plant foods for their livelihood.

PREHISTORIC SITES : Locations where people who were alive before modern written records existed once lived, hunted, camped, or were buried. Painted or carved rock outcrops are considered sites as well.

PROLIFERATED : To grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring.

PROVENIENCE : The three-dimensional location of an artifact or feature within an archaeological site, measured by two horizontal dimensions, and a vertical elevation.

PUNCTATES : Impressions in the surface of ceramic vessels made by implements or by fingernails as a form of decoration.

RADIOCARBON DATING : A process that provides absolute dates by counting the radioactive decay of carbon in the remains of once living plants and animals (i.e., charcoal, wood, bone, shell).

RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGY : A term applied to the emergency salvage of sites in immediate danger of destruction by major land modification projects such as reservoir construction.

SEDENTARY : A term applied to human groups leading a settled, non-migratory lifestyle.

SELENITE : A variety of gypsum occurring in transparent crystals or crystalline masses.

SHERDS : The individual pieces of broken pottery vessels.

SITE : A location where human activities once took place and left some form of material evidence.

STATE ARCHAEOLOGIST : An appointed official who is responsible for overseeing all potential impacts to archaeological resources and for reviewing and administering all archaeological work in order to insure compliance with state and federal regulations.

SUBSISTENCE ECONOMY : The means by which a group obtains the food and shelter necessary to support life.

TERRITORY : The familiar surroundings or home range that is claimed by a group of people.

TEST EXCAVATIONS : Subsurface excavations in areas that are either defined as sites based on surface artifacts or thought to contain buried deposits based on the landform.

TOOL KIT : The set of all weapons and tools that was created and used by a person or group of people.

TRANSIENT : Passing especially quickly into and out of existence; passing through or by a place with only a brief stay.

WOODLAND PERIOD : period following the archaic period from 1000 B.C. to 900 A.D., divided in early, middle and late.

ZOOARCHAEOLOGISTS : Zooarchaeologists study different types of animal remains recovered on archaeological sites. This can include animal teeth and bones, insects and shell. Zooarchaeologists often deal with small, fragmentary pieces of bone that could have come from many different animals. We can learn much about ancient diets from animal remains. For example, we can estimate the number of individuals of one species represented at a site. This can give a rough idea of how much food is represented by the remains. We also can learn something of the nature of site occupations. The placement of cut marks on animal bones can be used in the reconstruction of ancient butchering practices. For example, the presence of cut marks made by knives and stone tools at bone joints can indicate that the animal was butchered as a source of meat. However, if a skeleton of a deer or wolf, for example, seems to have cut marks only at the ends of extremities (toes and fingers) and in the neck area, the animal may have been skinned only and used as a source of fur. Zooarchaeological studies then, can indicate what animal foods ancient populations, as well as the season of site occupation ate, and the uses of different animals hunted.

ZOOLOGY : A branch of biology that is concerned with the scientific study of animals, including their biology, distribution, and identification.

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