| kouros | Ancient stone statue of a nude Greek youth.
|
 |
|
|
| archaeometry | The measurement of the chemical or physical properties of an artifact in order to solve problems of chemical composition, technology, chronology, etc. Sometimes described as "instrumental" archaeology.
|
|
|
|
| molecular archaeology | Sometimes used to refer to the organic component of archaeological chemistry and particularly to the investigation of ancient DNA in plant and animal remains, including humans. Sometimes called biomolecular archaeology.
|
|
|
|
| archaeological science | A generic term that includes noninstrumental areas such as faunal analysis, paleoethnobotany, and human osteology.
|
|
|
|
| archaeological chemistry | A part of archaeometry, the investigation of inorganic and organic composition, elements and isotopes, molecules and compounds in archaeological materials.
|
|
|
|
| neutron | Particle in the core of an atom with no electrical charge; part of the nucleus of an atom.
|
|
|
|
| proton | Particle in the core of an atom with a positive electrical charge.
|
|
|
|
| element | Building blocks of matter, different atoms by weight.
|
|
|
|
| atomic number | The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
|
|
|
|
| isotopes | Slightly different atoms of the same element with the same atomic number, but different numbers of neutrons.
|
|
|
|
| ion | Electrically charged atoms that have lost or gained electrons.
|
|
|
|
| molecule | A combination of atoms held together by chemical bonds.
|
|
|
|
| compounds | Combinations of elements in either organic or inorganic molecules in nature.
|
|
|
|
| organic compounds | The molecules of living organisms with the element carbon as a base.
|
|
|
|
| inorganic compounds | Molecules that do contain carbon.
|
|
|
|
| fluorine absorption | An archaeometric test for relative dating based on the assumption that fluorine accumulates at a constant rate in buried bone.
|
|
|
|
| hydroxyapatite | The mineral component of bone.
|
|
|
|
| neutron activation analysis (NAA) | Archaeometric technique using neutron bombardment to release detectable element-specific gamma rays in samples.
|
|
|
|
| inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) | Archaeometric technique in which samples introduced to a plasma source are ionized and elemental mass and concentration are measured.
|
|
|
|
| X-ray diffraction (XRD) | Archaeometric method for measuring mineral and elemental composition of most solids using distinctive patterns of X-ray scattering.
|
|
|
|
| gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) | Archaeometric technique for organic materials in which samples in gas state separate in a column and exit sequentially to a detector that produces a spectrum of the weight and amount of the molecules.
|
|
|
|
| plasma | The gaseous state of hot ionized material consisting of ions and electrons used as a source for ions in spectrometry.
|
|
|
|
| mass spectrometer | Any analytical instrument that records components of a spectrum by weight.
|
|
|
|
| crystalline | Materials with atoms arranged in a regular geometric pattern, used in XRD analysis.
|
|
|
|
| diffraction | Principle of X-rays being scattered when striking a crystal, used in X-ray diffraction analyses.
|
|
|
|
| wet lab | A chemistry facility with lab tables, equipment, and running water.
|
|
|
|
| fume hood | A ventilation system for removal of toxic gas in a chemistry lab.
|
|
|
|
| obsidian | A glassy rock produced from sand in volcanic conditions, used for making stone tools in the past.
|
|
|
|
| silica | The mineral component of sand.
|
|
|
|
| provenience postulate | States that if differences within a source of material are less than differences with other sources, then it is possible to distinguish individual sources, or provenience.
|
|
|
|
| provenience | The place of discovery or origin. Where an item is from (a.k.a. provenance in classical archaeology).
|
|
|
|
| discriminant analysis | Statistical technique for classifying a set of observations into predefined classes based on new measurement.
|
|
|
|
| anthropogenic | Created or produced by human activity, e.g., anthropogenic soils are a result of human activity.
|
|
|
|
| fractionate | Process through which the ratio of isotopes in a material can be changed by heat, photosynthesis, enzymes, or other natural mechanisms.
|
|
|
|
| photosynthesis | Process in plants for manufacture of carbohydrates and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of chlorophyll with sunlight as the energy source.
|
|
|
|
| enzyme | A protein that catalyzes a chemical reaction.
|
|
|
|
| collagen | The protein that makes up the organic portion of bone.
|
|
|
|
| leguminous plant (legume) | One of thousands of species with seed pods that split along both sides when ripe; more common legumes include beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, and soybeans; plants that absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere rather than from soil.
|
|
|
|
| trophic level | Position in the food chain, e.g., herbivore, carnivore, bottom-feeder.
|
|
|
|
| culture change | In archaeology, innovations or modification in technology or material culture.
|
|
|
|
| exotic | Foreign, unusual; in archaeology refers to artifacts and other materials from nonlocal sources.
|
|
|
|
| acropolis | Refers to the citadel or upper part of ancient cities in the classical world or Maya region.
|
|
|
|
| stelae | A stone monument, carved and/or painted with designs and/or inscription, common in the Maya region (sing.: stela).
|
|
|
|
| diagenesis | Physical and chemical changes in bone after burial.
|
|
|
|
| protein | Complex organic macromolecule composed of more chains of amino acids containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen; fundamental components of all living cells and many substances such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.
|
|
|
|
| lipids | A generic category of greasy compounds including fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides, that are constituents of living tissues.
|
|
|
|
| nucleic acid | Compounds found in all living cells and viruses, composed of purines, pyrimidines, carbohydrates, and phosphoric acid.
|
|
|
|
| amino acid | Simple organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and in certain cases sulfur. Twenty amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
|
|
|
|
| hydrocarbon | One of many organic compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen.
|
|
|
|
| fatty acid | Organic compound in animal and vegetable fats and oils, made up of saturated or unsaturated fats.
|
|
|
|
| sterol | Unsaturated solid alcohol, such as cholesterol and ergosterol, present in the fatty tissues of plants and animals.
|