Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.

- A -

archaeologist: a scientist who studies the remains of past and present humans
artifact: an object made, or modified by humans
atl-atl: a bone or wood shaft implement, held in one hand, and used to propel a spear. The tool functions as a lever, giving greater thrust and distance to the spear or dart being thrown
awl: a small pointed hand tool used for piercing holes in leather, wood, and other materials

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- B -

back dirt: the excavated material from a site, presumed to be of little or no further archaeological significance
banner stone: a stone that was attached to an atl-atl in order to make it a more effective weapon by adding weight and balance
behavior: the way a person acts
brochure: promotional literature
bundle burial: human bones bundled together in some material and buried
burial mound: mound under which a person or group of people were buried

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- C -

cardinal directions: north, south, east, west
catlinite: another name for pipestone, a reddish sandstone used by Native Americans for making pipes
celt: a small axe-like type of stone implement usually held in the hand used for working wooden materials
cemetery: a location where individuals are buried
ceremony: a gathering of people for a program, usually serious in nature, for a specific purpose
chert: a fine grained sedimentary rock that is white, pinkish, brown, gray or blue-gray in color. It is often shaped into stone artifacts by chipping
clay: material used for making pots
clovis point: large stone projectile point used by early American hunters to kill large game animals
compass rose: used to show direction on a map
compound mound: mounds that are made up of conical mounds connected by linear mounds
conical mound: a cone or oval shaped mound that usually contains human burials
copper breast ornament: a piece of pounded natural copper
coulees: steep sided valleys found along the Upper Mississippi Waterway
cremation: burials that are made from the remains of burned human bones
cremation ashes: fragments of charred human bones
cultural diffusion: the spreading of cultural traits from one society to another through trade or other forms of contact
culture: way of life
custom: established practice; habit; tradition

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- D -

driftless area: parts of NE Iowa, SE Minnesota, and SW Wisconsin that weren't affected by the most recent ice age

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- E -

effigy mound: mounds that are build in the shape of animals or birds
erosion: soil that is eaten away by water or wind
estimation: probable calculation or valuation
excavated: hollowed out cavity; explored
extended burial: the body is laid out flat, usually on the back

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- F -

fantasy: stories set in an unreal world. Fantasy is based upon the imagination in one's mind
farming: act of growing crops on the land
feature: evidences of human activity at a site visible as disturbances in the soil. Some examples would be post molds, storage pits, or hearths
flexed burial: a body that is buried in the fetal position
folsom point: large stone projectile point used by early American hunters to kill large game animals

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- G -

grave goods: objects placed with human burials meant to equip the person for the after life
grit: crushed stone or sand placed in clay in order to make potter vessels stronger

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- H -

haiku: brief poem of seventeen syllables
hide scraper: a tool made out of bone or stone used for removing the flesh from an animal hide
Hopewellian/Hopewell: refers to a prehistoric culture from Ohio known for elaborate burial practices
horticulture: plant cultivation carried out with relatively simple tools and methods
humerus: the large upper arm bone

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- I -

intermediate directions: northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest
interview: a record of a conversation between an interviewer and a subject. The intent of the interviewer is to provide for readers an overview and understanding of the subject being interviewed.

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- J -

(empty)

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- K -

(empty)

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- L -

legend: a story handed down from earlier times
linear mound: mound built in the shape of a cigar or candy bar
littering: unwanted debris
living: having life; existing; in action or use

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- M -

man-made changes: any change caused by humans
mano and metate: stone implements used for grinding nuts, seeds, and other foodstuffs
map key: used to show features on a map
map scale: used to show distance on a map
medicinal: items use for a medical purpose, usually to cure or relieve a disease
mega fauna: the name given to the large ice age animals (i.e. mammoths and mastodons) that inhabited North America at the time of arrival of the Early Americans
Mississippi River: river to the east of Iowa
myth: a tradition or fable; an invented story

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- N -

National Park Proclamation: special distinction given to an area for the preservation and public education of a historic site
natural changes: any change as a result of weather or other normal occurrence
natural resource: a material that comes from the earth
nature: environment
negative: an effect that is not in the best interest of something
non-living: matter or material that is not alive
non-renewable resource: something that can not be replaced

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- O -

observer: one who observes; a spectator who takes notice of something
obsidian: a type of black stone (volcanic glass) found in the Western U.S.
open pit mine: a large scale mining operation that removes materials from the surface of a site. A large hole or "pit" remains unless the land is reshaped
outline: the line surrounding an object

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- P -

phalanges: human finger bones
pipestone: a soft red sandstone from a quarry in Southwestern Minnesota used for making pipes
pollution: contamination of soil, water, or air
positive: an effect that is certain to be good for something
pot hunter: person who digs or picks up archaeological materials without permission in order to recover goods
pot sherd (shard): an individual piece of a broken pottery vessel
projectile point: the tip of an arrow or atl atl dart, often made out of stone

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- Q -

(empty)

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- R -

red ocher (ochre): powdered iron ore placed in a burial area
renewable resource: natural resource that can be replaced
respect: set of values which honor an individual, culture, or set of object
road cut: building of a road in the area
rock shelter: a rock overhang used as a shelter by Early Americans
rules: a set of defined actions permitted in a certain situation or location

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- S -

safety: set of procedures which keep people or objects in good condition
scapula: the shoulder bone of an animal
sensory-oriented: oriented to touch, taste, sound, sight, hearing, heart
snares: loops of material (vine, fiber, leather, etc) used for catching animals
story board: written and visual representation outlining a concept
strata: layers of soil or earth

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- T -

tempering agent: sand, stone, shell, clay or plant fibers added to local clays to prevent pottery from shrinkage and cracking during firing or drying
totem: a plant or animal associated with a clan as a means of group identification. It may have other significance for the group as well
transcript: a record of a conversation. Transcripts may be obtained from interviews, trials, or someone's recollections

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

Revised: November 07, 1999.