Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (711 page)

Literally, ‘the laws of burial’, in archaeology it is the study of the processes by which animal bones and other remains are transformed by human and natural processes during their incorporation into archaeological deposits, their subsequent long-term preservation within those deposits, and their recovery by archaeologists. The aim is to separate out and understand those characteristics of an assemblage that reflect past social actions in contrast to any patterning that might be the product of selective preservation or sampling biases.

 
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See
TERMINUS ANTE QUEM
.

 
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A low hill on which lies an extensive series of later prehistoric, pre-Christian, and early Christian monuments and structures forming one of the royal seats of early Ireland. The earliest upstanding monument on the hilltop is the Neolithic passage grave known as the Duma na nGiall (the Mound of the Hostages). Built about 3000 bc, but reused in the earlier Bronze Age, it lies within an oval ditched enclosure, the Ráith na Ríg, some 300m by 250m, which also contains two conjoined ringforts, one a bivallate structure known as Forradh (the Royal Seat), the other a univallate example known as Cormac's House. A decorated stone known as the Lia Fail (the Stone of Destiny) now stands within the Forradh, although originally it stood on the Duma na nGiall. It was used in the inauguration of Irish kings from at least the 8th century
ad
, and was widely regarded as having magic powers.
Two small enclosures lie outside the Ráith na Ríg, one to the north, the other to the south. Northwards there is also a long rectangular structure defined by parallel ditches 250m long and 30m wide. It is known as the Banqueting Hall, and may have been used for this purpose in medieval times even though its origins are probably far earlier. West of the Banqueting Hall is a group of three further ringforts. As a whole the site shows evidence for occupation and use over a very long period.
[Sum.: C. Newman , 1997,
Tara: an archaeological survey
. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy].

 
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State-organized society of the late Post-Classic Stage centred on Michoacan Province in west Mexico in the early first millennium
ad
. Although contemporary with the Aztecs it was never part of the Aztec empire. Tarascans claimed a Chichimec ancestry and their language was unrelated to any other in Mesoamerica. The first Tarascan capital was Tzinzunzan, overlooking Lake Pátzcuaro. Here was a large ceremonial complex with a huge platform mound on which stood five pyramids. Their religion seems to have focused on sun worship and to have included the practice of human sacrifice. The Tarascan state survived into early historic times.

 
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Term to describe final Mesolithic communities along the Atlantic fringe of northwest Europe from Spain through into southwest France, Belgium, and Britain dating to the period 6000–4000 bc. The culture is named after the site of Fère-en-Tardenois, Aisne, in France and post-dates the
SAUVETERRIAN
. Characterized by microliths of standard geometric form, especially trapezes, crescents, and triangles that were used as projectile points or barbs. The Tardenosian shows marked influences from contemporary adjacent Neolithic cultures.

 
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The entire group of items—sites, artefacts, features, etc.—that archaeologists are interested in studying or analysing. Since it is rare to get access to the entire target population (even where it is known), it is usually approximated through some kind of sample.