Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (656 page)

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Authors: Timothy Darvill

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shooting butt
[MC].
An earthen bank used to support a target for archery practice or, more recently, for shooting practice using a firearm such as a rifle or pistol.
short-necked beakers
[Ar].
See
BEAKER
.
shot-gun survey
[Sl].
Use of intuitive knowledge (real or imagined) to direct survey areas or sample points to places that are likely to yield good results.
shouldered point
[Ar].
A general type of flint or stone tool manufactured on a blade with a notch on one side to create an asymmetrical outline. Such points may be wholly or partly flaked on one or both sides. They occur in the assemblages of many cultures, but are especially common in the Upper Palaeolithic industries of Europe.
shovel pit testing
[Te].
An extensive survey technique to sample the content of topsoil within a defined area by taking a fixed volume of soil (usually a shovelful) out of the ground and sieving/screening it to separate out and quantify the artefact population. Widely used in the field evaluation of large areas in order to identify buried sites and define their approximate extent.
shovel scraping
[Te].
Use of a sharpened shovel to carve thin slices from the floor of an excavation unit.
shrine
[MC].
A small sacred place associated with a particular deity or dedicated to a particular person or event. A shrine may be constructed as part of a religious or ceremonial structure, but many exist within domestic buildings or in isolation to mark the special character of a particular place.

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