| Term | Definition |
|---|
| The historic period | the last 5000 years of history – that period of time since the appearance of writing |
| Primary records | accounts(usually written) of an event by someone who saw it happen. |
| Secondary records | accounts(usually written) that are made after an event by someone who was not there. (example: a history text) |
| The prehistoric period | that period of time prior to written records. (5000 years ago and longer) |
| Archaeologists | the scientists who collect and study the remains of past human activity. |
| Artifacts | any object made, used, or modified by people. They are portable and can be removed from the site. Examples include tools, weapons, pottery, etc. |
| Shards | pieces of broken pottery |
| Fossils | the hardened remains of plants or animals. |
| Excavation | a dig conducted by archaeologists to find evidence of past human activity buried in the ground. |
| Experimental archaeology | ancient conditions are recreated so that an archaeologist can test a hypothesis. |
| Silt | fine sand |
| Habitations | human settlements |
| Marrow | the soft material that fills a bone cavity |
| Hominids | early human ancestors |
| Anthropologist | trained professionals who study human beings and human society |
| Casts | moulds (used by Mary Leakey to make impressions of the Laetoli footprints) |
| Isernia La Pineta | The earliest known human settlement in Europe dating to 700 000 years ago containing 14 habitation layers showing that people hunted, gathered, made stone tools, and ate marrow. |
| The Laetoli Footprints | Mary Leakey discovered the footprints of 2 Australopithecus hominids dating from 4 million years ago in 1976. This is an important find because it shows that early hominids were walking upright. |
| The Italian Iceman | a 5300 year old frozen body that was found in the Italian Alps by hikers, the Simons. It's important because it gives us a lot of information about what life was like in Italy 5300 years ago. |
| The BC Iceman | a 550 year old frozen body that was found in northern B.C. by hunters. It's important because it gives much information about what life was like for the local Native people prior to the arrival of Europeans. It is the oldest preserved body found in North America. |
| Kenya Man | an early hominid skull that was found in Kenya and reassembled by Meave Leakey. It's important because it is our earliest known human ancestor, and it predates the previous earliest, Australopithecus afarensis. |
| Lucy | the 40% complete skeleton of a 3.2 million year old hominid human ancestor found by Donald Johanson. It's important because it proves that early hominids |
| Australopithecus afarensis | Scientific name for Lucy |
| Kenyanthropus platyops | Scientific name for Kenya Man |
| Abrader | A sandstone rock with a rough texture used to sharpen, shape, and grind tools. |
| Adze blade | A woodworking tool used to cut and shape wood. It is a rectangular shaped blade that was attached to a wooden handle and used like a modern day axe. |
| Archaeological site | A place or location that contains evidence of past human activity. This evidence consists of artifacts and/or features. The type of artifacts and features found vary depending on the kind of site. The size of archaeological sites also varies. |
| Artifact | An object made, used, or modified by humans. It is something that is portable and can be removed from the site. |
| Core | the chunk of preferred rock that flakes are removed from. |
| Faunal remains | preserved animal remains recovered from an archaeological site. Faunal remains can provide information about past environment, climate, diet, hunting practices, and season of site usage. They include animal bone, teeth, antler, horn, and shells. Faunal remains are rare because they are organic and usually decompose rapidly. If present, faunal remains can be recovered by screening the soil or using a process called flotation where the soil sample is dissolved in water and the faunal remains float to the surface. |
| Feature | Something made by people that is a permanent part of a site and can't be removed without destroying it. Examples include post molds and fire pits. |
| Flaking | A method of stone tool manufacturing that was in use by the Coast Salish people for at least 6 000 years. Tools were shaped and formed by knocking flakes of stone from a core using a hammerstone. Examples of flake tools include projectile points and pebble tools. |
| Flake | A chip of stone knocked off a core, using a hammerstone, in order to make a stone tool. Flakes have a striking platform and a bulb of percussion (bulge on opposite side from point of contact with hammerstone). |
| Floral remains | Preserved plant remains recovered from an archaeological site. Examples include seeds, leaves, nut shells, fruit, and plant fragments. Floral remains can provide information about past environment, climate, diet, and season of site usage. Faunal remains are rare because they are organic and usually decompose rapidly. If present, floral remains can be recovered by screening the soil or using a process called flotation where the soil sample is dissolved in water and the floral remains float to the surface. |
| Grinding | A method of tool manufacturing that Coast Salish people began using around 2 000 years ago. Slate and bone were ground, sharpened, and shaped using an abrader. Examples include slate fish cutting knives, bone needles and fishing barbs. |
| Hammerstone | An elongated stone that is used to knock flakes off a core in stone tool manufacture. It will be battered and worn on the ends. |
| In situ | The original location or position of artifacts and features in the archaeological site. Artifacts and features give archaeologists more information about ancient peoples when found in situ. |
| Pebble tool | A rough multi-purpose tool used for crushing, cracking, and scraping. It is made from a natural worn beach pebble that has a number of flakes removed from one end. |
| Projectile point | A triangular-shaped sharp-tipped flaked tool that was originally attached to a wooden shaft. Examples include arrowheads, harpoon heads, dart tips, and spear points. They range in size and shape. |
| Stratigraphy | the natural layering of cultural deposits and natural soil layers that build up on a site over a long period of time. These soil layers will often be different in color and texture from each other. The most recent artifacts and features are found closer to the surface, and the oldest deposits are at the bottom. |
| Hand maul | a hand held hammer with big and small flat surfaces for pounding. Made using the grinding technique. |
| Hafted maul | an oval-shaped stone with a groove for attaching to a wooden handle and used like a modern-day hammer. |
| Awl | long pointed tool used to punch holes so that sinew could then be threaded through by hand. Precursor to a needle. |
| Scraper | a small curved stone tool with sharp circular edge for scraping fish scales, hides, etc. |
| Harpoon head | a specialized projectile point with a series of barbs along the edge for fishing. |
| Fish barb | a small bone tool pointed on both ends used like a hook for fishing. |
| Slate fish knife | a specialized ground tool used for cutting. Consisted of a slate blade attached to a wooden handle. |
| Sinew | thin strips of muscle used by ancient peoples as string. |
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