Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (338 page)

The main UK-based association for archaeologists working in all sectors of the discipline which firmly establishes archaeology as a self-regulating profession. The IFA came into being on 21 December 1982 as the culmination of some ten years of discussion in Britain on the need for a professional institute. The objects of the Institute are to advance the practice of archaeology and allied disciplines; to define and maintain proper standards and ethics in training and education in field archaeology, in the execution and supervision of work, and in the conservation of the archaeological heritage; and to disseminate information about field archaeologists and their areas of interest. Central to its operation is an agreed code of conduct, which, together with other by-laws, all members agree to abide by. Membership is available at a number of levels depending on the level of education, training, and experience. Entry level is generally that of Practitioner, above which is an Associate Member, and then a Member, as a person's experience and career builds up. Membership carries the right to use the appropriate distinction—PIFA, AIFA, and MIFA respectively. Associate membership for students and those starting out in the profession is also available. Joining the Institute, or changing levels of membership, is attained by submitting for review and validation a portfolio or work and evidence of training and experience.

 
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insula
(pl.
insulae
)
[Co].

Literally an ‘island’, being the Latin term for the space between the streets in an urban street grid. A rectangular block of buildings surrounded by streets.

 
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1
The process of cutting a design into the surface of a small hard stone or gem.
2
The object so created, usually used as a seal or as a stone to be set in a ring.

 
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General term developed by Betty Meggers to refer to the period
c.
ad 500–1500 in Ecuadorian archaeology, although it is also applied in other adjacent areas of South America where it is sometimes known as the Late Period. The Integration Period is characterized by great cultural uniformity, the development of urban centres, class-based social stratification, and intensive agriculture. The culmination of the period is the absorption of Ecuador into the Inca empire.

 
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A general term used in archaeology to refer to any close contacts established between communities or regions that is evidenced in the archaeological record through material culture. Where fairly extensive contact is made over a wide area the term
interaction sphere
may be appropriate.

 
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Groups organized to pursue specific interests in the political arena, operating primarily by lobbying the members of legislative bodies.

 
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