Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (708 page)

Roman historian born
c.
ad 56, and the author of three major works that have become prime sources of information for the early history of Roman Britain:
The Histories
;
The Annals
; and a biography of his father-in-law,
The Agricola
, Agricola being governor of Britain between ad 78 and ad 84. Although he reveals little about himself in his writings, Tacitus is known to have been of senatorial rank and the civilian governor of western Anatolia. He died
c.
ad 120.

 
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See
THEORETICAL ARCHAEOLOGY GROUP
.

 
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Ecological zone that is slightly more temperate than
TUNDRA
, with a vegetation cover composed of stunted forest, mainly coniferous, on frozen subsoil. Probably much more extensive than tundra in periglacial Europe. Also known as boreal forest.

 
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Late Pleistocene, pre-
CLOVIS
, deposits investigated by R. Gruhn and A. L. Bryan in 1976. Mastodon bones and stone tools were recovered and interpreted by the excavators as an occupation site dating to the period
c.
12000–15000 bc. The association between the bones and tools has, however, been called into question.
[Sum.: A. L. Bryan
et al
., 1978, An El Jobo mastodon kill at Taima-Taima, Venezuela.
Science
, 200, 1275–7]

 
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Later prehistoric communities of the early 2nd millennium occupying northeastern Columbia. Some sites (e.g. Pueblito) are very large with up to 3000 houses as well as public architecture. Most villages have a central
PLATFORM MOUND
.

 
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Overlooking the River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is a classic example of Moghul architecture, with the Taj itself built as a mausoleum at the northern end of an extensive formal walled garden designed in the
charbagh
style and structured on the Islamic theme of ‘paradise’. The whole site was built by Shah Jahan between ad 1632 and 1653 as the final resting place of his favourite wife Arjumand Bann Begum (also known as Mumtaz Mahal) who died in ad 1631 shortly after giving birth to their fourteenth child. Upon his death in ad 1666, Shah Jahan was buried alongside his wife in the Taj.
More than 20000 workers were involved in its construction, and the marble and semi-precious stones that cover the wall faces to give it its brilliant white appearance were brought from Rajasthan, Persia, Russia, Afghanistan, Tibet, China, and the Indian Ocean. Essentially square in shape, the Taj has peaked arches cut into its sides, topped by a dome that rises to a height of 55m. The whole is set on top of a square marble platform with a high minaret at each corner.
[Sum.: P. N. Oak , 1989,
Taj Mahal
(4th edition). Houston: A. Ghosh]

 
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