Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (673 page)

Trace of a levelled or buried feature revealed by differences in colour or texture of the soil, usually in ploughed land.

 
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A vertical sequence of recognizable horizons resulting from the development of a
SOIL
over time. Different soils have slightly different profiles because of local conditions and processes. A typical profile would comprise the following horizons or zones: organic horizons (L, F, H, and O); mixed mineral and organic horizons (A); eluvial horizon (E); horizons of accumulation (B); rock undergoing alteration horizon (C). Soils that are periodically waterlogged may also have a gleyed horizon (G).

 
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Egyptian god of the dead at Memphis. Represented as a hawk-headed deity. Equivalent to the Greek Sokaris.
PTAH
.

 
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Method for joining two or more pieces of metal together using a fusible alloy that attaches to both parts and forms a solid bridge between or around then. First recognized during the middle Bronze Age.

 
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Roman gold coin, weighing 72 to the pound, minted from 309 as part of the reform of the currency after the economic collapse of the 3rd century. The prestige coin of the later empire, in which taxes and tribute were demanded, it was valued by barbarians as far as Scandinavia.

 
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When, in periglacial conditions, the upper layer of a soil profile thaws and the soil itself becomes waterlogged and sludgey because the water cannot drain away. Solifluction occurs when the liquid soil flows down to the lowest point available. This can cause the disruption or displacement of archaeological deposits as well as the burial of landscapes underneath displaced material.

 
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