Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (320 page)

BOOK: Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology
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horreum
[MC].
Latin term for a granary. Archaeologically such buildings are recognized by the raised floors which are usually supported on a series of closely spaced parallel walls.
Horsa
[Na].
Jutish mercenary who, along with his brother Hengist , was apparently invited to settle in southeastern England by Vortigern . Horsa was killed in battle in
c.
ad 455.
horse
[Sp].
A solid-hoofed plant-eating quadruped (Equus caballus) found wild in many parts of the world during late pleistocene and post-Pleistocene times. It is well represented in rock art of the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe. It is far from clear when the horse was first domesticated, but the first evidence of possible manipulation is in the tripolye culture of the steppes in southern Russia and the Ukraine dating to the 4th millennium
bc
. The earliest horse harness fittings are antler cheek-pieces, also of the 4th millennium
bc
, and date from the Sredny-Stog Culture of the Ukraine. The use of the horse for riding and as a draught animal to pull chariots and carts spread quickly through the Middle East, and can be recognized in northern Europe from about 2500 bc.
Horsham Culture
[CP].
A late Mesolithic culture found in southern England and named after a small town in Sussex. Rather distinctive of the culture are the hollow-based points, sometimes referred to as Horsham points. The term is not widely used.
Hor-Sma-Tawy
[Di].
Egyptian god, Horus-Uniter-of-the-Two-Lands, son of Hathor and Horus . Equivalent to the Greek Harsomtus.
Horus
[Di].
Egyptian falcon god of Edfu, where he is called Horus the Behdetite. He is usually depicted as a hawk-headed man. The royal god par excellence, since the ruler of the day was considered to be Horus incarnate. Became identified with Hor-Pa-Khred, son of Isis and Osiris.

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