Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (651 page)

1
A straight-sided narrow deep hole cut into the ground.
2
A slender column.

 
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A tall slender structure in the form of an upright tube or chimney open at the top with a combustion area or hearth at the bottom. There is an arrangement at the base of the furnace to control the flow of air into the hearth, usually by using natural draught or bellows. The draw created by the chimney section of the hearth allows a strong flow of air and very high temperatures to be achieved. See also
BOWL FURNACE
.

 
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An axehead of metal or stone with a hole throughout for hafting.

 
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A distinctive type of burial monument characterized by a deep narrow shaft running down into the ground with burials deposited either in the bottom of the shaft itself or in a small chamber opening from the base of the shaft. Found widely in many parts of the world at different times, the best known are those dating to the later 17th through to the 16th centuries
bc
at
MYCENAE
. Here the dead were placed in cists, either individually or in groups, at the bottom of an oblong shaft up to 4m deep. The position of the grave is sometimes indicated at the surface by a stone marker or stele.

 
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South American farming cultures found in the Rio Ucayali area of Amazonia and tentatively dated to
c.
600–200 bc. Characterized by their ceramic assemblages which belong to the Incised Rim Horizon Style of Amazonia.

 
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Fine soft rock, also known as Channel coal and jet, that splits easily and can be worked into ornaments and trinkets. In northern Europe during prehistoric times dark-coloured black and grey shales were sought after and used for making pendants, rings, bracelets, etc. Sources include Kimmeridge, Dorset, and Whitby, North Yorkshire. Kimmeridge shale was also widely used in Romano-British times for ornaments and inlays.

 
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