Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (803 page)

Provisionally defined almost entirely by ceramic styles found in the Rio Ucayali area of Amazonia and tentatively dated to
c.
ad 1–400.

 
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South American farming cultures found in the Rio Pastaza and Rio Napo areas of Amazonia and tentatively dated to
c.
100 bc–ad 50. Characterized by their ceramic assemblages which belong to the Incised Rim Horizon Style of Amazonia.

 
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A proto-historical period in Japanese history, broadly 300 bc toad 300. The agricultural economy was based on wet-rice cultivation. Sites of the period include mound burials for Yayoi rulers, family burial grounds for others, and moated settlements. Genetically, Yayoi people are thought to be descended from the
JOMON
, and this link is visible in the succession of pottery styles, although links with other areas are also evident. Bronze and iron were used. Warfare and the degree of social differentiation present increased during the period.

 
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Anglo-Saxon palace and royal centre extensively excavated by Brian Hope-Taylor in the 1950s. A series of foundations representing twenty or so large rectangular timber halls overshadowed by a large timber fort which may have been established by King Edwin in the early 7th century
ad
. There may also have been a church on the site, but the most extraordinary building was a semi-circular structure interpreted as a kind of grandstand for meetings and assemblies. It may have provided the platform from which Paulinus preached in ad 627.
[Rep.: B. Hope-Taylor , 1977,
Yeavering: an Anglo-British centre of early Northumbria
. London: HMSO]

 
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1
A wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of a pair of oxen or horses. The yoke was connected to a plough, cart, or wagon so that the combined force of the two animals could be evenly distributed.
2
A U-shaped stone, often elaborately carved, found widely in Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, and northern parts of South America. Believed to be stone imitations of protective belts worn by players in the ball-courts.

 
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A major Roman fortress, settlement (Eboracum), early medieval ecclesiastical and trading centre of Anglian Northumberland (Eoforwic), a Viking trading centre (Jorvik), headquarters to one of the factions in the Wars of the Roses, and regional capital in medieval and later times.The first Roman occupation was the construction of a legionary fortress on the north side of the River Ouse by the IXth Legion in ad 71. Built first in wood, during the 2nd century it was rebuilt in stone, the IXth Legion being replaced by the VIth Legion. In the early 3rd century
ad
a
colonia
was founded on the west bank of the Ouse under the emperor Septimus Severus. Commercial and industrial areas developed, as did cemeteries and suburbs. From the 5th through to the 9th centuries there is relatively little archaeological evidence, but settlement is believed to have continued within and around the former fortress, especially on the high ground between the rivers Ouse and Foss.Between 850 and 1100 the settlement underwent a major replanning which gave the city a new shape and plan that has largely endured to this day. A thriving trading port was established focused on the river Ouse and its tributary the Foss. Tightly packed rectangular houses and waterfront facilities have been excavated, some of which are reconstructed in the Jorvik Centre in Coppergate. In 1067–8 an impressive Norman castle was built on the hilltop east of the River Ouse. The minster church was founded in ad 627, later to become one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in England. The town was walled, in some areas incorporating the remains of the defences of the former Roman fortress. Much of the medieval fabric of the city remains visible today and a great deal of excavation has taken place in the town, mainly since the formation of the York Archaeological Trust in 1972.
[Sum.: R. Hall , 1996, York. London: Batsford and English Heritage]