Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology by Timothy Darvill Page A
Authors: Timothy Darvill
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god of ancient Egypt mainly responsible for guarding tombs and the underworld and closely associated with embalming. Local god of the 16th and 17th nomes of Upper Egypt. Shown as a man with a jackal's head or as a black jackal seated on a hill, a chest, or a pylon.
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Anuket [Di]
Egyptian goddess, associated with Khnum at the First Cataract and in Nubia. Shown as a woman with a crown of feathers, grasping a papyrus staff. Chief centre is the island of Seheil where she has a temple. Equivalent to the Greek Anukis.
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Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka [Si].
Ancient capital city from the introduction of Buddhism to the island in the 3rd century bc through to the 8th century ad when it was abandoned because of Tamil incursions from southern India. The site covers more than 100ha and amongst the numerous and important buildings in the city are palaces, monasteries, and STUPAS .
[Rep.: R. A. E. Coningham and F. R. Allchin , 1995, The rise of the cities in Sri Lanka. In F. R. Allchin (ed.), The archaeology of early Historic South Asia: the emergence of cities and states . Cambridge: CUP]
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anvil technique [De].
A method of removing flakes by swinging the core against an anvil. Produces large thick flakes. Used extensively in the CLACTONIAN toolmaking industries. Also called the block-on-block technique.
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Anyang, China [Si].
An early city of the late SHANG period near modern-day Anyang City in Henan Province, northern China. Excavations between 1928 and 1937 by Li Chi and more recent work by the Academia Sinica show that occupation starts in the 13th century bc . The town consists of an oval area about 3.75km by 9.75km, mainly unenclosed, but incorporating a temple complex, residential buildings, clusters of aristocratic houses, and workshops. The distinctive Anyang style of bronze working with prominent TA'O T'IEH . designs suggests a strong interest in death and ancestor worship. Its ORACLE BONES provide important information on early social organization. Perhaps the most important finds from the city relate to the cemeteries, which included over a dozen royal tombs. Each consists of a large square pit 14m across and 4m deep entered by either two or four ramps. At the centre an inner pit contained the body of the king set in a large wooden coffin. A small pit below the coffin held the bones of a dog. Around the central burial pit and on the ramps there were placed many grave goods and the bodies of the king's retinue (men and horses). Around the tomb, excavations have revealed numerous smaller pit graves and these seem to represent the accumulation of burials over a long period after the central prestige grave had been completed.
[Rep.: Li Chi , 1977, Anyang: a chronicle of the discovery, excavation, and reconstruction of the ancient capital of the Chang Dynasty . Folkstone: Daveson]
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AOC [Ab].
See AREA OF COMPETENCE .
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AOC beaker [Ab].
All-over-corded beaker. See BEAKER .
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aonach [De].
A fair or assembly place in the early medieval period in Ireland. The word occurs fairly frequently in PLACE-NAMES . By the 11th century ad the aonach had become more or less synonymous with a market.
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AOO beaker [Ab].
All-over-ornamented beaker. See BEAKER .
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AP [Ab].
Aerial photograph. See AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY .
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apadana [Co].
The principal audience hall of a Persian palace.
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Apennine Culture [CP].
A middle and late Bronze Age culture which developed about 1600 bc in peninsular Italy with some influence from the Balkans. Characterized by the variety of its pottery types, which included bowls with elaborate, upstanding handles, and vessels decorated with curvilinear and zig-zag geometric
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Anuket [Di]
Egyptian goddess, associated with Khnum at the First Cataract and in Nubia. Shown as a woman with a crown of feathers, grasping a papyrus staff. Chief centre is the island of Seheil where she has a temple. Equivalent to the Greek Anukis.
Back -
New Search
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka [Si].
Ancient capital city from the introduction of Buddhism to the island in the 3rd century bc through to the 8th century ad when it was abandoned because of Tamil incursions from southern India. The site covers more than 100ha and amongst the numerous and important buildings in the city are palaces, monasteries, and STUPAS .
[Rep.: R. A. E. Coningham and F. R. Allchin , 1995, The rise of the cities in Sri Lanka. In F. R. Allchin (ed.), The archaeology of early Historic South Asia: the emergence of cities and states . Cambridge: CUP]
Back -
New Search
anvil technique [De].
A method of removing flakes by swinging the core against an anvil. Produces large thick flakes. Used extensively in the CLACTONIAN toolmaking industries. Also called the block-on-block technique.
Back -
New Search
Anyang, China [Si].
An early city of the late SHANG period near modern-day Anyang City in Henan Province, northern China. Excavations between 1928 and 1937 by Li Chi and more recent work by the Academia Sinica show that occupation starts in the 13th century bc . The town consists of an oval area about 3.75km by 9.75km, mainly unenclosed, but incorporating a temple complex, residential buildings, clusters of aristocratic houses, and workshops. The distinctive Anyang style of bronze working with prominent TA'O T'IEH . designs suggests a strong interest in death and ancestor worship. Its ORACLE BONES provide important information on early social organization. Perhaps the most important finds from the city relate to the cemeteries, which included over a dozen royal tombs. Each consists of a large square pit 14m across and 4m deep entered by either two or four ramps. At the centre an inner pit contained the body of the king set in a large wooden coffin. A small pit below the coffin held the bones of a dog. Around the central burial pit and on the ramps there were placed many grave goods and the bodies of the king's retinue (men and horses). Around the tomb, excavations have revealed numerous smaller pit graves and these seem to represent the accumulation of burials over a long period after the central prestige grave had been completed.
[Rep.: Li Chi , 1977, Anyang: a chronicle of the discovery, excavation, and reconstruction of the ancient capital of the Chang Dynasty . Folkstone: Daveson]
Back -
New Search
AOC [Ab].
See AREA OF COMPETENCE .
Back -
New Search
AOC beaker [Ab].
All-over-corded beaker. See BEAKER .
Back -
New Search
aonach [De].
A fair or assembly place in the early medieval period in Ireland. The word occurs fairly frequently in PLACE-NAMES . By the 11th century ad the aonach had become more or less synonymous with a market.
Back -
New Search
AOO beaker [Ab].
All-over-ornamented beaker. See BEAKER .
Back -
New Search
AP [Ab].
Aerial photograph. See AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY .
Back -
New Search
apadana [Co].
The principal audience hall of a Persian palace.
Back -
New Search
Apennine Culture [CP].
A middle and late Bronze Age culture which developed about 1600 bc in peninsular Italy with some influence from the Balkans. Characterized by the variety of its pottery types, which included bowls with elaborate, upstanding handles, and vessels decorated with curvilinear and zig-zag geometric
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