Archeology, Archaeology

The process of excavating an archeological site according to the natural or cultural strata in the site: It is important in stratified excavation that the visible layers of culture and natural waste or debris are very carefully unearthed.

1. The study of layers, or strata, in the EarthJim was very interested in the geological and cultural history of the planet Earth so he decided to take a course in stratigraphy.
2. The interpretation of the vertical layering in an archeological site on a geological deposit that allows scientists to relatively date the artifacts or fossils in the layers (strata): Borrowed from geology, stratigraphy assumes that older layers are generally found on the bottom. This means that artifacts found in the upper layers of an excavation are likely to be younger than those in the lower layers.

A pile of earth or other material commemorating Buddha, a sacred event or a sacred place: A stupa is a dome-shaped commemoration or monument that is used to keep and shelter relics of the Lord Buddha.

A mound made from the accumulated building debris of collapsed ancient settlements: A tell can be a big pile or heap of mudbricks.

The term tell is used most often in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

A megalithic structure composed of two upright stone pillars, topped by a horizontal slab: A trilithon cam be seem at Stonehenge, a prehistoric megalithic structure in England, and is completely made of stone.

The classification of things into groups based on their similarity of characteristics or attributes: In the botany class, students were taught to recognize plants according to their typology of variegated leaf patterns and to organize them based on this information.

In geology, paleontology, an abbreviation for "years ago": In archeological dating, dates are measured from 1950, the period when radiocarbon dating became a practical tool in the archeologists arsenal.

"Yr" stands for "years", and "ya" stands for "years ago".

In ancient Mesopotamia, a monumental pyramidal structure composed of brick or stone stories, or steps, of decreasing size built on top of each other which was built in the center of most major Babylonian cities: Many ziggurats were dedicated to celestial gods; for example, the one at Ur, was dedicated to Su'en, the moon god.

As with many other ancient civilizations, Babylonian astronomy was a composition of religion, mythology, and astrology.

The priests were apparently the best-educated sector of the population; therefore, they were largely responsible for the development of Babylonian science, including astronomy.

The Babylonian empire lasted from about 2700 B.C. to 500 B.C., during which time the priests apparently did much to demystify astronomy and to put it on a scientific basis.