Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (356 page)

Third pluvial period in Africa, dated to the later part of the middle Pleistocene.

 
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A type of drinking cup popular in the classical world from the 6th to the 3rd centuries. Distinctive whether in metal or ceramic in having two vertical handles which often project above the rim. Early examples are often stemmed.

 
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Large tell in the Azmak Valley near Nova Zagora, whose deposits span the early Neolithic through to the middle Bronze Age and provide not only a full account of the cultural history of southern Bulgaria but also an important sequence connecting central Europe with southeastern Europe. Excavated by V. Mikov and G. Georgiev in the late 1930s, more than 12m of deposit were investigated and grouped into seven levels. Levels I and II represent the early Neolithic, part of the
STAR
EVO
group of cultures, with square houses built of wattle and daub. Level III has
VESELINOVO
associations with dark burnished and carinated pottery. Level IV is characterized as Kalojanovec culture and seems to reflect a local tradition. Level V has Marica Culture material including graphite painted wares and excised pottery. Together, levels IV and V are contemporary with the late Neolithic
VIN
A CULTURES
of the western Balkans. The very thick level VI is the
GUMELNI
A
horizon with graphite painted wares and the evidence for an emergent copper metallurgy. In this period the tradition for small square houses was changed, and rather larger rectangular structures, many with more than one room, were built, most of them internally plastered and painted. After a stratigraphic hiatus the final level (VII) belongs to the early Bronze Age.
[Rep.: S. Hiller , 1988,
Tell Karanovo 1987
. Saltsburg: Institut für Alte Geschichte und Altertumskunde der Universität Saltzburg]

 
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A Lower Palaeolithic stoneworking industry found in northern Kenya and surrounding areas and within the
OLDOWAN
tradition. Dates to between 1.5 and 1.25 million years ago. It includes bifaces and a greater range of tool types than its predecessors.

 
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Bronze Age communities who succeeded the
ANDRONOVO CULTURE
in southern Siberia and Kazakhstan in the later 2nd millennium
bc
. Karasuk communities were farmers who specialized in sheep husbandry. Settlements include pit-houses; cemeteries include stone cists covered by low mounds set in a square stone enclosure. Metalwork was well developed, the most distinctive products being a kind of bronze knife or dagger with a curved profile and a decorated handle. Their art includes the extensive use of realistic animal images, a style that perhaps later contributed to the Scytho-Siberian animal art style. Remains of Karasuk Culture bridles mark the beginning of horse-riding on the Siberian steppe.