A Anthropogenic: Caused by the influence of human activities. Australopithecus: An extinct genus of small-brained, bipedal hominin that lived in Africa between four and one million years ago. Archaeochemistry: The application of principles and techniques from chemistry to the analysis of archaeological materials; also called archaeological chemistry. Archaeochemists: Researchers who employ chemistry principles and techniques to analyse archaeological materials. Archaeogenetics: The application of techniques of molecular genetics and population genetics to the study of the human past. Archaeogeneticists: Researchers who apply the techniques of molecular genetics and population genetics to the study of the human past. Archaeological science: The application of scientific techniques to the analysis of archaeological materials. Archaeologists: Researchers who study the material evidence of past human activities and behaviours. Archaeology: The study of the material evidence of past human activities and behaviours. Archaeostratigraphy: The use of artefact characteristics to partition the chronological succession of archaeological deposits. Argon-argon dating: A radiometric dating technique that uses the ratio of argon-40 to argon-39 isotopes to determine the age of mineral samples; the technique evolved from potassium-argon dating. Artefacts: Objects created or modified by human activity. Artefact deposition: The discard and accumulation of artefacts. B Biologists: Researchers who study of the natural processes of living organisms. Biogeographers: Researchers who study the geographic distribution of organisms. Bio-stratigraphy: The use of biological materials within the sedimentary deposit (e.g. pollen, vertebrate fossils) to partition the chronological succession of archaeological and geological deposits. Bioturbation: Modification of deposits caused by the activities of organisms, such as tree root action and animal burrowing. Bipedalism: The locomotive ability to walk upright on two feet. Bipolar percussion: A stone artefact production technique that involves striking a stone placed on an anvil. In the case of Liang Bua, the technique refers specifically to the method where flakes were placed on an anvil and hammer strikes were delivered to the edge of the flake. Burination: A stone artefact production technique involving the removal of flakes off the edge of a stone. It tends to produce elongated flakes with a roughly triangular cross-section.
C Carbon-14: A radioactive isotope of carbon that contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons in its nucleus. Chemists: Researchers who study chemistry. Chert: A fine-grained sedimentary rock that is rich in silica. Chromatography: A technique for identifying substances in a mixture by passing the mixture, as either liquid or gas, through a medium in which different substances move through at different rates. Contamination: The occurrence of materials or substances in or on archaeological samples that are not related to the samples original creation or use. The term is often used to describe the introduction of modern carbon-14 from unrelated sources, such as the excavators, to the dated samples, resulting in erroneously young ages. Cores: Stones from which flakes were removed through percussion. D Dendrochronology: A method of dating wooden samples using tree rings. Denisovans: An extinct hominin group belonging to the genus Homo, identified originally from the DNA extracted from a bone fragment recovered at the site of Denisova Cave in southern Siberia. Deposit: A layer or mass of accumulated matter. Destructive methods: Analytical techniques that require the destruction of the study sample for analysis. Diagenesis: The chemical, physical, or biological changes undergone by sediments after deposition or existing rocks after formation; sometimes also used for alterations to biological materials such as bone. DNA dating: The use of genetic information and estimated rates of mutation to determine the age of biological samples. Dwarfism: The evolutionary process through which organisms shrink in size. E Ecofacts: Organic material, such as animal bones and charcoal, that has been handled and/or modified by past human activities. Electron microprobe analysis: A non-destructive technique that uses an electron beam to determine the chemical composition of small volumes of solid materials. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating: A dating method based on the population of electrons trapped in the crystal lattice of the dated sample as a result of absorbing energy from environmental sources of radiation; usually restricted to tooth enamel in archaeological contexts. Evolution: The process by which organisms change through time by means of natural selection.
F Faunal remains: The skeletal remains of animals. Feldspar: An abundant rock-forming aluminosilicate mineral, with potassium, sodium and calcium being the most common distinguishing ions. Flakes: Stone chips removed from stones through percussion. Flores: One of the islands in the eastern half of Indonesia where the remains of Homo floresiensis were discovered. Foramen magnum: The oval opening in the base of the skull where the spinal cord passes through as it exits the cranial cavity. Foster s rule: The evolutionary principle by which a species becomes smaller or larger depending on the environmental conditions; also known as the island rule. Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy: A technique for characterising the chemical composition of samples based on the infrared spectrum of absorption or emission. G Genus: A taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms; it comes above species and below family. Geoarchaeologists: Researchers who apply principles and techniques from geology to analyse the formation of archaeological sites and their contents. Geoarchaeology: The application of principles and techniques from geology to analyse the formation of archaeological sites and their contents. Geochronologists: Researchers who study the science of determining the ages of rocks, sediments and fossils. Geologic strata: Layers of rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish them from other layers. Geologist: Researchers who study of the physical structure and substance of the Earth, and the processes by which the Earth has changed over time. Geomorphologists: Researchers who study the features of the Earth s surface and the various processes by which they undergo change. Geomorphology: The study of the physical features of the Earth s surface and the various processes by which they undergo change. Gigantism: The evolutionary process through which organisms increase in size.
H Half-life: The length of time required for the quantity of a radioactive isotope to reduce to half its initial amount. Hobbit: The nickname given to Homo floresiensis. Homo floresiensis: An extinct species of small-statured hominin, likely belonging to the genus Homo, which was discovered at the cave site of Liang Bua on the Indonesian island of Flores. Holocene: The geological epoch that began around 11,700 years ago and continues to the present. Homo: The genus that contains our species, Homo sapiens, and several extinct species that are ancestral or closely related to modern humans. Hominins: Primates that are more closely related to modern humans than to living chimpanzees; includes modern humans and extinct species that were directly ancestral or very closely related to us. Humeral-femoral proportion: The ratio between the lengths of the humerus (upper arm bone) and the femur (thighbone). I Infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating: A dating method that estimates the time since mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight or heat, using infrared photons to stimulate the emission of light; usually restricted to dating of feldspars. In situ: In its original place of deposition. Intrusive artefacts: Artefacts introduced into an archaeological layer through events that occurred after the formation of the layer (see Post-depositional processes ). Intrusive artefacts may be unrelated to the human activities represented by the archaeological layer from which they are recovered. Island dwarfism: The evolutionary phenomenon whereby mammals on isolated islands decrease in size in comparison to their mainland counterparts; see also Foster s rule. Isotopes: Variants of particular chemical elements that differ in the number of neutrons. K Knapping: The act of making stone artefacts by means of hammer percussion. Komodo dragon: A large species of lizard (Varanus komodoensis) found on certain Indonesian islands. L Late Pleistocene: The geological epoch between about 126,000 and 11,700 years ago. Liang Bua: A limestone cave on the island of Flores in Indonesia, where the remains of Homo floresiensis were discovered in 2003. Lithicists: Researchers who study stone artefacts. Lithics: Stone artefacts. Luminescence dating: A group of dating methods that measures the light emitted by mineral grains (e.g. quartz and feldspar) as a result of the energy stored as trapped electrons in the crystal lattice.
M Magneto-stratigraphy: The use of the magnetic properties of sediments or rocks to partition the chronological succession of deposits in relation to different periods of polarity of the Earth s magnetic field. Mammal: An animal belonging to the taxonomic class Mammalia; distinguished from reptiles and birds by the presence of features such as hair and a neocortex in the brain. Mandible: The lower jaw bone. Marabou stork: A large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Mass spectrometers: Instruments that measure the masses and relative amounts of different ions. Mass spectrometry: A technique that identifies and quantifies ions in mixtures by ionising molecules and measuring the mass-to-charge ratios. Megafauna: Large-bodied animals; sometimes (but not here) restricted to animals with a body mass greater than about 40 kg. Micromorphologists: Researchers who study the fine-level structures or morphology of sedimentary deposits. Microresidues: Small amounts of very fine substances that remain on the surfaces of artefacts or other archaeological materials after use. Microscopy: The use of microscopes to view objects invisible to the naked eye. Middle Pleistocene: The geological epoch between about 781,000 and 126,000 years ago. N Neanderthals: An extinct genus of large-brained, bipedal hominin that lived across Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. Neuroscientists: Researchers who study the nervous system and the brain. Neolithic: A period of human technological development that began around 12,000 years ago and is marked by agriculture, domestication and the manufacture of polished stone artefacts and pottery. O Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating: A dating method that determines the time since mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight or heat, using visible photons (typically blue or green) to stimulate the emission of light; used restricted to dating of quartz.
P Palaeoecology: The study of environments and ecological conditions in the past, and the processes by which they have changed over time. Palaeoanthropologists: Researchers who study the evolutionary history of humans. Palaeoanthropology: The study of the evolutionary history of humans. Palaeogenomics: The study of the genomic information of early modern humans and extinct hominins. Paranthropus: An extinct genus of hominin found in Africa. Pedo-stratigraphy (soil stratigraphy): The use of sedimentary characteristics to partition the chronological succession of deposits. Percussion: The act of striking a stone to cause fracture. Photomultiplier tube: An instrument that is sensitive to light in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Phylogenetic continuity: Continuity in the evolutionary lineage of organisms as they change through time. Physical anthropologists: Researchers who study the biological and behavioural aspects of humans in relation to their evolutionary history, variability and adaptation to the environment. Physicists: Researchers who study the interactions of matter and energy in the physical universe. Pleistocene: The geological epoch that lasted from about 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago. Post-depositional processes: Processes that have occurred after the deposition of archaeological materials. Proboscideans: A taxonomic order that includes living elephants as well as the extinct mammoths, mastodons, gomphotheres and, on Flores, Stegodons. Provenance studies: Analyses of the source/origin of archaeological materials. R Radiation dose: The amount of radiation energy absorbed per unit mass of matter. Radiocarbon dating: The technique of dating carbon-bearing materials based on the amount of radioactive carbon-14 remaining in the sample. Radiometric dating: A broad term referring to dating techniques based on the principle of radioactive decay. Raman spectroscopy: A technique used to identify and quantify molecules based on their vibrational properties. Retouched flake: Stone flakes that have been modified through secondary flaking.
S Sahul: The continental area that comprises mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and the neighbouring islands; this expanded landmass existed east of the Wallace Line when sea levels were lower. Sediment: Naturally occurring material broken down through processes of weathering and erosion, and subsequently transported by wind, water, ice and/or gravity. Sedimentologists: Researchers who study sediments and the processes that result in their erosion, transport, deposition and diagenesis. Silicified tuff: A type of rock formed by compacted debris from silica-rich volcanic ash. Skeletal morphology: The physical features and characteristics of the various bones in a skeleton. Soa Basin: A 400 sq. km geological depression located in central Flores and surrounded by volcanoes. Spectroscopy: The field of study that investigates the spectra produced when matter interacts with or emits electromagnetic radiation. Speleothem: A structure formed by the precipitation of minerals from water; most often found in caves. Stegodon: A genus of the extinct taxonomic family Stegodontidae. Stomatology: The medical study of the mouth and its diseases. Stone tools: Tools made from stone, typically through hammer percussion or grinding. Stratification: The formation of layers (strata). Stratigraphy: The study of rock or sediment layers and the processes by which they were formed. Sundaland: The biogeographical region of Southeast Asia that lies west of the Wallace Line and includes the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the surrounding islands and the adjacent continental shelf, which was exposed when sea levels were lower. Sunda Shelf: The southeastern extension of the continental shelf of Southeast Asia that includes the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the surrounding islands. T Taphonomy: The study of the processes through which organic remains are transformed in fossils; in archaeology, the term also refers to the identification of natural processes that may have modified archaeological materials after their deposition. Thermoluminescence (TL) dating: A dating method that determines the time since mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight or heat, using the application of heat to stimulate the emission of light. Thorium-230: A radioactive isotope of thorium.
U Ungulates: Members of a diverse clade of hoofed mammals; includes odd-toed ungulates such as horses, and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs and deer. Uranium-series: The major decay chain of radioactive uranium, beginning with uranium-238 and terminating with lead-206, a stable isotope; the minor decay chain starts with uranium-235 and ends with lead-207. Uranium-234: A radioactive isotope of uranium. V Vibrational spectroscopy: A term referring to FTIR and Raman techniques for identifying the molecular composition of mixtures by measuring vibrational energy levels associated with the chemical bonds in materials. Volcanologists: Researchers who study volcanoes. W Wallace Line: A boundary line drawn by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace that separates the biogeographical regions of Asia and Wallacea, which is a transitional zone between Asia (Sundaland) and Australia (Sahul). Wet sieving/sifting: The process of separating and retaining archaeological materials by rinsing in water over a sieve. X X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy: A technique used to determine the chemical composition of materials by measuring the fluorescent radiation emitted by samples when excited by X-rays.