Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology Barbara Ann Kipfer
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Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology Barbara Ann Kipfer Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology Second Edition Barbara Ann Kipfer Old Saybrook, CT, USA ISBN 978-3-030-58291-3 ISBN 978-3-030-58292-0 (eBook) ISBN 978-3-030-58293-7 (print and electronic bundle) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58292-0 1st edition: © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2000 2nd edition: © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Preface Archaeology is the study of man’s life and activities through material remains. It is used to uncover the history of prehistoric times and peoples without written records. Part of archaeology is creating written records about a time without written records or with incomplete written records. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology was written to prepare the author for work as an archaeologist who will help others research, write, and edit their data and who will write useful books and publications for other archaeologists. An archaeologist’s work involves locating, collecting, cleaning, sorting, identifying, and measuring objects found in and on the earth and sea. The ultimate goal of the archaeologist is to reconstruct the culture that produced the objects. Therefore, a vital part of an archaeologist’s work is in writing up and presenting the data and the reconstruction based on the data. The scientific and technical tools and techniques of archaeology have increased tremen- dously. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology will provide the student, layperson, and professional archaeologist with clear definitions of complex terms and procedures. It contains descriptions of various types of dating, excavation, tools, and artifacts as well as key individuals in the history of archaeology. It also covers terms borrowed from anthropology, computer science, botany, demography, economics, geography, geology, mathematics, pathology, statis- tics, surveying, physics, biology, and chemistry. This dictionary has been compiled with the aim of introducing anyone who is interested in modern archaeology to the terminology, concepts, and basic aims of the techniques. This is a general and specialized dictionary of archaeology; cultures and artifacts are described as well as terms describing techniques applied to archaeological material. This book will come as a welcome repository of all the fascinating discoveries in the various fields of research, from the antiquity of the Far East, Europe, and Middle East to Pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas. For the general reader, the volume will not only be a ready reference, but a fascinating home library or bedside book to enrich one’s comprehension of man’s beginnings and subsequent civilizations. The dictionary is comprehensive, with coverage of the whole world, beginning with the first hominids of some three million years ago, and continuing through to protohistoric and historical archaeology. One will find here an entry for every site that has contributed uniquely to the essential body of information upon which the current major classifications and interpretations of prehistory are based – and for major artifact types, and major cultures and their phases and subdivisions. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology has been carefully constructed to provide balance and depth of treatment. The main subject areas of investigation were artifacts, branches of archaeology, chronology, culture, features, flora and fauna, geography, geology, language, people, related fields, sites, structures, techniques and methods, terms and theories, and tools. Archaeology continues to develop at a fast rate. Certainly during the compilation of this dictionary, further improvements in techniques, newly discovered radiocarbon dates, and new terms have arisen. Further refinements and new data will undoubtedly occur. It is clearly not possible to include a reference to every fact or term of archaeological importance in the world. In North America alone, more than half a million archaeological sites have been recorded, tens of thousands have been excavated, and thousands of named artifact types and culture complexes v vi Preface have been described in the literature. This is still the largest collection of archaeological terms described in a one-volume reference. Interest in archaeology is more keen and widespread now than at any time in the past, so much so that the dividing line separating the specialist and the general reader is narrowing. Newspaper articles and books keep the reader informed of the latest archaeological techniques and discoveries. The result is that the intelligent amateur wants to know more and more and is sometimes prepared to wrestle with serious professional works, which the Encyclopedic Dic- tionary of Archaeology also is. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology is more modern and comprehensive than any other work of reference in the field available in one volume. It contains over 7,000 entries covering themes, concepts, and discoveries in archaeology. It is written in nontechnical lan- guage and tailored to meet the needs of archaeologists and students as well as the general reader. Every effort has been made to make the dictionary an authoritative, up-to-date, and useful compendium of basic information about archaeology. I have benefited greatly from the writings of all the archaeologists and scientists from whose works this dictionary has been distilled: they will doubtless recognize their contribution. As a professional lexicographer, it is important to write wholly new entries, but it is essential to rely on the works of other lexicographers for information. Many dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference manuals, atlases, etc. of archaeology were consulted for this compilation.