Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (723 page)

 
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Woven cloth made from spun fibres of animal or plant source. Although textiles themselves only survive from the ancient past under special conditions, their presence may be recognized through impressions made on more durable materials (e.g. pottery) or inferred from the recovery of evidence for looms or spinning equipment. See also
WEAVING
.

 
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In ceramic studies, the term used to describe the uniformity of the fabric used to made a vessel or object.

 
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Traditional style of roofing used in many parts of the world at different times whereby bundles of organic material such as reed, straw, heather, turf, or ling are tied together over a wooden frame with the long axis of the plant fibre parallel to the slope of the roof to provide good weather-proofing.

 
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Heavy stone or ceramic object, usually with a perforation or groove in it so that it can be attached to a rope or net, that is used to hold roofing thatch in place.

 
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A structure in which dramatic or ceremonial performances could be staged in front of an audience. In their developed form theatres are relatively complicated and generally enclosed buildings, although still retaining much of the essential form of earlier designs. Examples are known in Greece from the 6th century
bc
. The D-shaped or U-shaped structures had three main elements: the
orchestra
or central floor used for processions and dancing; the
auditorium
which housed the audience either standing or seated in tiers; and the
skene
, a structure for the convenience of the performers which later became elaborated as a stage in front of a building that supported scenery. The largest theatres in the Greek world were those of Syracuse and Ephesus which held 20000 spectators. The theatre at Epidaurus is probably the best preserved and most beautiful of all: it seated 16000 people and is still in use for an annual festival.

 
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