Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (80 page)

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Authors: Timothy Darvill

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betyl
[Ar].
A sacred stone, often in the form of a block trimmed into a conical shape. See also
OMPHALOS
.
biconical
[De].
A vessel is said to be biconical when the sides make a sharp, inward change of direction, as if two truncated cones were placed base to base.
biconical urn
[Ar].
Style of early Bronze Age pot found widely in northwestern Europe with a deep, largely plain, outwardly flared body above which is sharp carination, usually decorated and sometimes with an applied cordon, and an inwardly angled neck. The neck is usually decorated with impressed cord designs, and the rim is typically bevelled and lightly ornamented.
bier
[Ar].
A movable wooden platform on which corpses are laid, sometimes together with grave goods, and eventually carried to a burial place.
biface
[De].
General term referring to stone core-tool that is usually pointed at one end and flaked on both flat faces until thin and sharp-edged. Mainly found in
PALAEOLITHIC
tool industries, and the type-fossil of the
ACHEULIAN
, the tools range in size from about 10cm to over 20cm in length, and are believed to be multi-purpose tools for chopping, carcase dismemberment, and cutting.
bifacially worked
[Ar].
An artefact that has been flaked on both sides.

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