Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (250 page)

American term used to describe a professional archaeologist employed by a federal agency.

 
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A toolmaking tradition of the late glacial period used by peoples living on the north European Plain in the period
c.
9800 bc through to
c.
8800 bc. Based on the use of small backed blades. Such pieces occur within the
CRESWELLIAN
in the British Isles.

 
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A concept in the archaeological application of systems theory reflecting the continually changing relationship between cultural variables and their environment. A system in which the result of a signal, or series of signals, is another signal which in turn modifies and directs the next.

 
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Early cave occupation site in Patagonia near the Straits of Magellan west of Palli Aike in the far south of South America. Excavated by Junius Bird in the 1930s, the cave had a deep layer of debris below which were the remains of an ancient roof-fall, and below this again further refuse. The lower deposit belonged to the early Magellan Complex and included an assemblage which comprised fishtail points, associated with late Pleistocene fauna such as native horse, sloth, and guanaco. Further excavations in the late 1950s by José Emperaire and Annette Laming-Emperaine confirmed Bird's record of the stratigraphy and provided dates which assign the lower deposits to the period before 9000 bc. Fell's Cave is thus important as one of the earliest pieces of evidence for the human occupation of southern South America.
[Rep.: J. Emperaire , A. Laming-Emperaire , and H. Reichlen , 1963, La Grotte Fell et autres sites de la région volcanique de la Patagonie chilienne.
Journal de la Société des Américanistes
, 52, 167–252; J. Bird , 1938, Before Magellan.
Natural History
, 41(1), 16–28]

 
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An approach to archaeological interpretation that provides a critique of androcentric notions and biases, and foregrounds the experiences of women in the past. The belief that women have suffered from oppression in western society carries with it the implication that archaeologists need to examine gender roles and inequalities within the archaeological profession. See also
GENDER ARCHAEOLOGY
.

 
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A marshy wetland characterized by alkaline conditions such as occur between fresh water and dry land along lake margins, in river cut-offs, or extensive wet shallows bordering river estuaries. Fens present an early stage in the progressive colonization of shallow water, the carr stage being next when trees start to establish themselves. The preservation of archaeological remains in fen areas is generally good.

 
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