Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (767 page)

Roman general, a favourite of Augustus , who after a successful career in Africa and Syria commanded the Rhine army, which was ambushed and destroyed in 9 ad somewhere near the middle Weser in Germany.

 
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Laminated lake sediment showing alternating layers of coarse and fine mud laid down over the course of a single year as a result of seasonal fluctuations in the sediment load of water courses emptying into the lake. The kind of sediment depends on the proximity of glaciers and local climatic conditions. Varved sediments typically preserve excellent environmental sequences providing palaeoenvironmental contexts for local archaeological sites, including evidence for progressive changes in vegetation, forest fires, and the effects of human communities on soil erosion and run-off regimes within the catchment. Varves provide high-quality geochronological resolution to the environmental data through
VARVE ANALYSIS
.

 
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The use of annual
VARVE
couplets as a geochronological measure to provide relative dates to specific horizons in lake sediments. Pioneered by the Swedish geologist Baron Gerard de Geer , a reasonably complete chronology for environmental changes during the early
HOLOCENE
has been established for Scandinavia.

 
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Classic ceramic form of the middle Neolithic
CHASSEY CULTURE
of northwestern France comprising a hollow cylindrical base supporting a dished upper surface. The outer faces are often highly ornamented with incised chevron, lattice, and chequer-board designs. Their exact function is not certain, but they are believed for be incense burners.

 
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A form of roofing in stone or brick using the principle of gravity to lock the materials together. The barrel vault is continuous and of semi-circular section, whilst in the rib vaulted roof the weight of the roof itself is carried by structural elements known as ribs.

 
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Term to describe a space such as a room or courtyard covered by a vault.

 
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