Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (680 page)

A type of mollusc (Spondylus gaederopus), found only in the Mediterranean and on the Black Sea coast, which was extensively used during the early Neolithic for the manufacture of ornaments such as bracelets and necklaces. They were widely traded, and some found their way into temperate Europe where they occur in
LINEARBANDKERAMIK
contexts.

 
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A type of stone object found in later Neolithic and early Bronze Age graves in northern and western Europe, often associated with
BEAKER
pots. Sponge fingers, shaped rather like the modern-day biscuits of the same name, are elongated stones with a D-shaped cross section and rounded ends that typically show signs of wear. They were perhaps used in pottery production or leatherworking as burnishers or spatulae.

 
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A distinctive blue/grey igneous rock with white spots that outcrops in the Prescelly Hills of Pembrokeshire. It was used for making axe-hammers and battle-axes in the late Neolithic, and blocks of it were taken to Stonehenge, Wiltshire, for use in the stone circles of the Phase 3 monument. Group XIII in the classification scheme set out by the Implement Petrology Committee of the
COUNCIL FOR BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY
.

 
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A type of bowl, usually biconical, having a projecting tubular spout with an internal strainer, probably used for wine.

 
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The voussoir which rests on the cap above a
JAMB
and marks the beginning of an arch.

 
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Type of middle to late Bronze Age settlement found in southern and eastern Britain named after an example excavated at Springfield, Essex. A Springfield enclosure is roughly circular in plan, usually situated on a low hill or spur, bounded by a single or double line of ramparts each comprising a ditch flanked on the inside by a bank or box rampart. Generally less than 1ha in extent, these enclosures served not only as settlements but also as ritual foci and the setting for craft activities such as textile production and metalworking.

 
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