Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (574 page)

A roughly rectangular block of flint prepared for the effective removal of long narrow blades by creating a striking platform at either end so that blades could be removed in alternate directions.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

A lavatory or earth closet in a shed or enclosure detached from the main dwelling, often situated at the end of the garden. Such facilities may have seating for up to four people at a time.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Thin metal rod used in
PROBING
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Method of exploring buried layers or structures using a thin metal probe pushed or hammered into the ground in the hope of making contact with the target object. Very useful for finding buried stones, ditches, and the extent of metalled surfaces below soft overburden.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

The doors by which a monastic procession left the church (east) and re-entered it (west).

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

Essentially, the
NEW ARCHAEOLOGY
of the late 1960s and 1970s, processual archaeology is grounded in a
POSITIVIST
view of the past and takes an essentially anthropological view of ancient societies. Drawing on earlier work in the field of biology,
SYSTEMS THEORY
became a dominant model in processual views of the past. In this, societies are seen as a series of subsystems interacting with each other and the environment in which the system is set. What interested processual archaeologists were the processes that prompted and thus explained change whether they were natural (e.g. climatic) or anthropogenic (e.g. population growth; agricultural intensification; accelerated trade). The overall aim was to move away from simply describing archaeological evidence towards trying to provide robust explanations for the patterns in it.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search