Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (512 page)

A slab of black basalt on which an inscription cut around 2400 bc recorded the rulers of the first five Egyptian dynasties. The last king to be mentioned is Neferirkara , the third king of the 5th Dynasty. Only six fragments now survive, the largest of which has been in Palermo Museum since 1877 (four others are in the Cairo Museum and one is in the Petrie Collection of University College, London).

 
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A slab of stone or wood for grinding and mixing substances such as paint or cosmetics.

 
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From the Greek work
palimpsestos meaning a papyrus or other kind of writing material on which two or more sets of writing had been superimposed in such a way that, because of imperfect erasure, some of the earlier text could be read through the later over-writing. In archaeology the term is often applied to landscapes in which traces of earlier arrangements can be seen amongst and below the modern pattern.

 
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A stake-built or post-built defensive barrier, often on top of an embankment or rampart.

 
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Class of large late Neolithic enclosure found in the British Isles which comprises a distinctive boundary built using massive tree trunks set close together in a palisade slot or at intervals in separate postholes with planking between. There is often an elaborated entrance with an outer parallel-sided palisaded passage. The largest examples are more than 17ha in extent, though most are between 0.5ha and 2ha. Alex Gibson has suggested three phases to the development of these enclosures: the earliest using widely spaced timber uprights, the middle phase having close-set postholes, and the latest examples using a continuous palisade slot. Also known as stockaded enclosures.

 
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A small defended occupation site of the early Iron Age in the British Isles. They are usually situated on spurs, promontories, or hilltops and cover less than 0.4ha. The boundary works comprise either single or double lines of rock-cut trenches which held substantial timber palisades. Inside there are usually the remains of one or two timber round houses, pits, and animal shelters.

 
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