Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (539 page)

Latin term for a double-pointed wooden stake carried by Roman soldiers for use in fortifying the ramparts of temporary camps.

 
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1
Column or pillar incorporated into a wall.
2
In pottery kilns, integral short piers, buttresses, or column-like projections of varying shape, protruding from the kiln wall on the inside of the combustion chamber, and usually intended to support the raised oven floor of the kiln.

 
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Type of settlement found in Switzerland, southwest Germany, and northern Italy characterized by clusters of large wooden stakes found projecting from the muddy floors of established lakes, and associated with Neolithic pottery and a wealth of organic material that was preserved in the waterlogged conditions. When first found in the mid 19th century it was believed that these represented the remains of villages constructed on piles above open water. It has recently been shown, however, that since Neolithic times the water in the lakes has risen to its present level. Originally these structures were built on marshy land around lake shores. The earliest are of the 3rd millennium
bc
Jura and
CHASSEY CULTURES
, but later examples of the
CORTAILLOD
and
LAGOZZA
cultures are also known. The latest belong to the later Bronze Age (
URNFIELD
) period.

 
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A person who undertakes a long and arduous journey in order to worship at the shrine of a particular saint and to earn both spiritual and physical salvation. The greater the hardship and danger endured in making the journey (
pilgrimage
), the greater the eventual rewards were deemed to be.

 
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Ceramic barrel-shaped or cylindrical container, usually with a flattened shape and two suspension lugs, carried by pilgrims to contain their supply of water or wine. Also called costrels.

 
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A small metal plaque available at the major shrines visited by pilgrims and worn by successful pilgrims as a souvenir and proof of their journey. Amongst the most distinctive are the scallop-shell badges from the shrine of St James in
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELLA
.

 
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