Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (23 page)

A biological dating method used on human and animal bone and carbonate shells. Within living organisms amino acids are molecularly structured in what is known as the L-isomer configuration, but at death they restructure to what is known as the D-isomer configuration through a process known as racemization. This restructuring takes place relatively slowly, so that from a zero point at the time of death the D/L ratio gradually increases so that equilibrium is reached after anything from 150000 years to more than 2 million years. The main problem with the technique is that the rate of racemization varies according to temperature and groundwater conditions so that regional differences according to latitude can be seen as well as, over long periods, uneven rates of change through time. This means that turning the D/L ratios into absolute ages is difficult, although as data about a particular area is built up fairly reasonable sequences can be developed.

 
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One of the last great Roman historians. Originally from Antioch, born
c.
ad 330, he served in the army and settled in Rome
c.
ad 378. His
History
, written in Latin for a Roman audience, spanned the years ad 96 to 378. Only the section from ad 353 survives, providing an account of events and of society in the years before the barbarian incursions into the empire. Died
c.
ad 395.

 
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Egyptian god. See
AMEN
.

 
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Nomadic people of western Mesopotamia, instrumental in the collapse of the
UR III
kingdom around 2000 bc, who then settled amongst the Babylonians and integrated with them. The first eminent Amorite king was Gungunum , part of the Larsa Dynasty. In the early 2nd millennium
bc
an Amorite Dynasty emerged at Babylon under Sumuabum, initiating the Old Babylonian period from soon after 2000 bc down to1600 bc. The later Amorite capital was Mari on the middle Euphrates. The Amorites eventually amalgamated with the Canaanites, and in later times can be identified with a small kingdom and associated language group in northern Syria.

 
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An association of neighbouring city-states for joint supervision of religious institutions, such as control of the Delphic oracle in Greece in the 1st millennium
bc
.

 
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A Roman building of elliptical form, open to the elements, with an arena surrounded by tiers of seats. Public spectacles were held in the arena.

 
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