Glossary
- circa (c.)
-
around, approximately with respect to dates
- in situ
-
in its original depositional context
- paterfamilias
-
the ultimate (always male) head of a family
- terminus ante quem (TAQ)
-
date (terminus) before (ante) which (quem) something must have happened
- terminus post quem (TPQ)
-
date (terminus) after (post) which (quem) something must have happened
- aedificatio
-
architecture
- Agency Theory
-
the analysis of the effect of an artifact on different viewers throughout its entire biography
- alphabetic script
-
a script where a written sign expresses a single sound
- amici
-
friends
- archaeology
-
the study of the material remains of past human behavior
- Archaeometrics
-
use of scientific techniques to measure archaeological factors
- Art History
-
study of art objects (whatever that means)
- coinage
-
(typically) metal currency
- Columella
-
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, a 1st c CE [AD] writer who wrote primarily on the functioning of large agricultural estates
- currency
-
money in standardized form that is easy to transport, store, and produce
- dialect
-
a particular variation of a language, mutually intelligible with other variations
- dignitas
-
social dignity
- doctrina
-
knowledge, expertise
- dominus
-
the owner of a house and leader of the household
- domus
-
literally a house but also with the sense of the household who live within it
- Epigraphy
-
study of public writing
- Flans
-
blank discs of metal, eventually stamped with dies to make coins
- frieze
-
decorative band running around something
- geomorphology
-
the study of earth’s landforms and the processes that shape them
- Hermeneutics
-
study of how meaning may change over time/place
- inscription
-
writing that has been carved into something
- logogram
-
a written sign that expresses a single word / concept
- M
-
Museum where object is currently held
- matrona
-
the wife of the dominus
- membra
-
disarticulated architectural remains
- money
-
anything that functions as a (1) store of value; (2) measure of value; and (3) means of payment and/or exchange
- muliebris
-
having to do with women
- Numismatics
-
study of physical money / currency (in the classical world, this means coins)
- O
-
Object scanned or pictured
- P
-
Place (find spot if known, or current location) of object
- paleoethnobotany
-
the study of remains of plants cultivated or used by mankind in the past
- Philology
-
study of ancient texts, particularly literature
- phonemes
-
sounds of a language and/or script
- phytoliths
-
mineralized plant remains
- pictogram
-
a written sign that expresses a single word / concept, and looks like that single word / concept
- Polis
-
an independent city-state that was the main political unit for most of Classical Greece
- pollen
-
(broadly speaking) fine dust produced by plants to spread male gametes
- Post-Structural Analysis
-
the study of how meaning is understandable only through particular context
- primary source
-
a source (textual or visual) that was made in the ancient world
- propylon
-
monumental entrance (plural propyla)
- relief
-
sculpture carved against a solid background
- Ritual Theory
-
the study of how objects / images play a role in rituals
- script
-
a means of writing language
- secondary source
-
a source (textual or visual) that was made about the ancient world
- Semiotics
-
the study of how elements of words/images work together to convey meaning
- Semiotics: signified
-
Within Semiotics, concept represented by word(s) / image(s)
- Semiotics: signifier
-
Within Semiotics, word(s) / image(s) representing a concept
- SLO
-
Student Learning Objective
- stratigraphy
-
layers of soil and/or occupation, especially in an archaeological context
- Structural Analysis
-
the study of how various components / signs work together to represent action / narrative
- Structural Analysis: catalyst
-
Within Structural Analysis, an object/action that modifies the story
- Structural Analysis: index
-
Within Structural Analysis, an object/action that links narrative to other stories
- Structural Analysis: informant
-
Within Structural Analysis, an object/action that identifies the time / location / characters of story
- Structural Analysis: nucleus
-
Within Structural Analysis, an object/action that is crucial to story
- Structural Analysis: paradigmatic function
-
Within Structural Analysis, a component that links the action to a setting and/or other stories outside of the immediate narrative
- Structural Analysis: syntagmic functions
-
Within Structural Analysis, components that work together to tell the story
- struts
-
structural components added to strengthen a sculpture at predictable weak spots
- syllabic script
-
a script where a written sign expresses a single syllable / sound combination
- text
-
literary writing (of any sort)
- Topography
-
study of built landscape
- verism
-
modern term for (sometimes extreme) “realistic” style in portraiture
- Viewer Response Theory
-
analysis of processes by which different viewers approach a work of art
- W
-
When (i.e. date) of object
- zooarchaeology
-
the study of animals and their use in the past