archeology: the process of digging in the earth to uncover information on how people lived in the past

artifact: any object made or used by humans

benchmark: a fixed, immovable reference point set up by the archeologist prior to digging; used in conjunction with the transit (see below) in taking elevation reference points for drawings of a feature

cartouche: a thin clay seal added separately to the outside of a pipe or vessel; maker's initials or full name, or the king's initials (e.g. "GR" standing for Georgius Rex) are displayed within

ceramics: pottery

chamber pot: a pottery bowl used as a toilet before indoor plumbing was invented; dumped into the privy (see below) the next morning

conservation: the art of cleaning and treating artifacts to ensure their survival outside the ground

culture: the unique behaviors, beliefs and artifacts of a particular people

delft: tin-glazed earthenware made in Holland or England during the colonial era (1607—1776) and shipped to America

diagnostic artifact: an artifact which provides clues to the function or date of a feature or site

earthenware: term referring to a relatively soft-bodied pottery, fired in a kiln heated to only several hundred degrees Fahrenheit and less than that of stoneware (see below)

ecofact: any object excavated by the archeologist that is not made or fashioned by people, e.g. leaves, wood, pollen, seeds, etc.

excavate: to dig an archeological site

feature: permanent fixture (foundations, walls, cellars, wells, etc.) or distinct deposit (trash pits, privies, etc.) on a site

glaze: a mineral treatment that, when added to the hot kiln during the baking of pottery, seals the porous clay of the vessel and produces a shiny and often colorful surface; favorite minerals were lead (Pb), tin (Sn) and salt (NaCl)

grid: the pattern of measured units laid out by the archeologist on the surface of a site prior to excavation; needs to be easily translated onto graph paper to record any features or significant artifacts

physical anthropology: the study of human skeletal remains from a site

plowzone: the top soil layer on a site, especially one that has been under cultivation each year; may vary from a few inches to 15 inches

privy: a hole dug into the ground for use as a place to go to the bathroom

Rhenish: refers to the point of origin for ceramics made by German potters in the Rhine River valley; mostly stonewares

site: a location where archeologists can find evidence of human activity

slip: a thin, very wet layer of clay added to the outside of the vessel to seal up tiny cracks or to act as an adhesive for attaching handles, cartouches (see above), etc.

stemware: refers to hand-blown glass (usually clear) made into a narrow-stemmed glass for serving wine, brandy or champagne

stoneware: term referring to a relatively hard-bodied pottery, heated in a kiln heated to temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees Fahrenheit

strata: layers or occupation levels at a site

stratigraphy: drawing the distinct layers or levels in the soil at a site

subsoil: the undisturbed (by the plow) layer of soil lying underneath the topsoil layer on a site; usually containing no evidence of prior human activity

transit: an instrument used by archeologists to measure vertical elevations on a site; benchmark (see above) needs to be established

trowel: a small hand-held spade; the main tool of the archeologist

ware: an object made by hand by an artisan, usually referring to a potter or glass blower; thus the terms ‘stoneware,’ ‘earthenware,’ ‘delftware,’ ‘stemware’ or ‘glassware,’ ‘redware’ or ‘buffware’ (refers to color of the clay of the vessel), etc.

Date posted: 01.01.03