|
Stone Ball
In archaeology, a stone ball or petrosphere (from Greek πέτρα (''petra''), "stone", and σφαῖρα (''sphaira''), "ball") is the name for any spherical man-made object of any size that is composed of stone. These mainly prehistoric artifacts may have been created or selected, but altered in some way to perform their specific function, including carving and painting. Several classes of petrospheres exist, such as: *the stone spheres of Costa Rica, *painted pebbles from Scotland, *stone charms from Scotland and sandstone balls from such sites as Traprain Law,Rees, Thomas & Hunter, Fraser (2000). Archaeological excavation of a medieval structure and an assemblage of prehistoric artefacts from the summit of Traprain Law, East Lothian. 1996 - 7. P.S.A.S. 130, P. 413 - 440. *the carved stone balls, which are mainly from Scotland, although they have also been found in Cumbria and Ireland, *and carved stone shot for cannons and trebuchets. Naturally formed stone balls, suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kelvingrove Art Gallery And MuseumDSCF0239 11
Kelvin Grove or Kelvingrove may refer to: * Kelvin Grove, Calgary, a neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada * Kelvin Grove, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia * Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North, a suburb of Palmerston North, New Zealand * Glasgow Kelvingrove (UK Parliament constituency) * Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland * Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, Scotland * Kelvingrove, Glasgow, an area of Glasgow, Scotland {{geodis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Researcher's Guide To Local History Terminology
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient Greek letter alpha, from which it derives. The uppercase version consists of the two slanting sides of a triangle, crossed in the middle by a horizontal bar. The lowercase version can be written in two forms: the double-storey a and single-storey ɑ. The latter is commonly used in handwriting and fonts based on it, especially fonts intended to be read by children, and is also found in italic type. In English grammar, " a", and its variant " an", are indefinite articles. History The earliest certain ancestor of "A" is aleph (also written 'aleph), the first letter of the Phoenician alphabet, which consisted entirely of consonants (for that reason, it is also called an abjad to distinguish it f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avogadro Project
The Committee on Data for Science and Technology, scientific community examined several approaches to redefining the kilogram before deciding on a 2019 redefinition of the SI base units, redefinition of the SI base units in November 2018. Each approach had advantages and disadvantages. Prior to the redefinition the kilogram, and several other SI units based on the kilogram, were defined by an artificial metal object called the international prototype of the kilogram (IPK). There was broad agreement that the older definition of the kilogram should be replaced. The International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) approved a redefinition of the SI base units in November 2018 that defines the kilogram by defining the Planck constant to be exactly . This approach effectively defines the kilogram in terms of the second and the metre, and took effect on 20 May 2019. In 1960, the metre, previously similarly having been defined with reference to a single platinum-iridium bar with t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kugel Ball
A kugel fountain (also called a "floating" sphere fountain or by the pleonasmic name kugel ball) is a water feature or sculpture where a sphere sits in a fitted hollow in a pedestal, and is supported by aquaplaning on a thin film of water. Pressurized water flows between the sphere and socket, creating a mechanical hydrostatic bearing that is nearly frictionless. The sphere can weigh thousands of kilograms, but the efficient bearing allows it to be spun by the force of a hand. The sphere does not float, being denser than water; it is often made from granite. The hydraulics of the fountain can be controlled so that the axis of rotation of the sphere changes continually. Ring sculptures that rotate on an axis are also built. Kugel fountains can be found all over the world. Many are at popular tourist destinations, such as science museums, shopping centers, lobbies, and gardens. The term ''kugel'' is from the German word ''Kugel'' for ''ball'' or ''sphere''. Locations of kugel fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lapidary
Lapidary (from the Latin ) is the practice of shaping stone, minerals, or gemstones into decorative items such as cabochons, engraved gems (including cameos), and faceted designs. A person who practices lapidary is known as a lapidarist. A lapidarist uses the lapidary techniques of cutting, grinding, and polishing. Hardstone carving requires specialized carving techniques. In modern contexts, a gemcutter is a person who specializes in cutting diamonds, but in older contexts the term refers to artists who produced hardstone carvings; engraved gems such as jade carvings, a branch of miniature sculpture or ornament in gemstone. By extension, the term ''lapidary'' has sometimes been applied to collectors of and dealers in gems, or to anyone who is knowledgeable in precious stones. Etymology The etymological root of the word 'lapidary' is the Latin word , meaning "stone".Douglas Harper (2014)Lapidary Online Etymology Dictionary In the 14th century, the term evolved from , meani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rai Stones
A rai stone ( yap, raay), or fei stone, is one of many large artifacts that were manufactured and treasured by the native inhabitants of the Yap islands in Micronesia. They are also known as Yapese stone money or similar names. The typical rai stone is carved out of crystalline limestone and is shaped as a disk with a hole in the center. The smallest may be in diameter. The largest extant stone is located on Rumung island, near the Riy village; it is in diameter and thick, and weighs . Rai stones were quarried on several of the Micronesian islands, mainly Palau, but briefly on Guam as well. The practice stopped in the early 20th century. Today there are around 6,000 large rai stones outstanding in the island, and several can be seen in museums around the world. The stones were highly valued by the Yapese, and used for important ceremonial gifts. The ownership of a large stone, which would be too difficult to move, was established by its history as recorded in oral tradit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bolas
Bolas or bolases (singular bola; from Spanish and Portuguese ''bola'', "ball", also known as a ''boleadora'' or ''boleadeira'') is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entangling their legs. Bolas were most famously used by the gauchos, but have been found in excavations of Pre-Columbian settlements, especially in Patagonia, where indigenous peoples (particularly the Tehuelche) used them to catch 200-pound guanacos and rheas. The Mapuche and the Inca army used them in battle. Mapuche warriors used bolas in their confrontations with the Chilean Army during the Occupation of Araucanía (1861–1883). Use ''Gauchos'' used ''boleadoras'' to capture running cattle or game. Depending on the exact design, the thrower grasps the ''boleadora'' by one of the weights or by the nexus of the cords. The thrower gives the balls momentum by swinging them and then releases the ''boleadora''. The weapon is usually used t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stone Tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric (particularly Stone Age) cultures that have become extinct. Archaeologists often study such prehistoric societies, and refer to the study of stone tools as lithic analysis. Ethnoarchaeology has been a valuable research field in order to further the understanding and cultural implications of stone tool use and manufacture. Stone has been used to make a wide variety of different tools throughout history, including arrowheads, spearheads, hand axes, and querns. Stone tools may be made of either ground stone or knapped stone, the latter fashioned by a flintknapper. Knapped stone tools are made from cryptocrystalline materials such as chert or flint, radiolarite, chalcedony, obsidian, basalt, and quartzite via a process known as lithic reduction. One simple form ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grave Orb
A grave orb is a petrosphere that was put on a person's tomb. Grave orbs were made throughout Scandinavia from the Pre-Roman Iron Age until the Vendel era. The grave orb could have been selected for its round shape or shaped by hand. They were then put in the centre of a burial site. Tumuli, stone circles and stone ships often have a reclined or raised central stone, and grave orbs derive from this practice. They were of ritual or symbolic significance. Some grave orbs are engraved with ornaments, such as the orb at ''Inglinge hög'' or Barrow of Inglinge near Ingelstad in Småland, Sweden. ''Hög'' is from the Old Norse word ''haugr'' meaning mound or barrow. See also *Stone balls *Stone spheres of Costa Rica *Carved stone balls of Scotland Sources *The article '' 'Gravklot' '' in ''Nationalencyklopedin ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (; "The National Encyclopedia" in English), abbreviated NE, is a comprehensive contemporary Swedish-language encyclopedia, initiated by a f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Industry (archaeology)
:''Not to be confused with industrial archaeology, the archaeology of (modern) industrial sites.'' In the archaeology of the Stone Age, an industry or technocomplex is a typological classification of stone tools. An industry consists of a number of lithic assemblages, typically including a range of different types of tools, that are grouped together on the basis of shared technological or morphological characteristics. For example, the Acheulean industry includes hand-axes, cleavers, scrapers and other tools with different forms, but which were all manufactured by the symmetrical reduction of a bifacial core producing large flakes. Industries are usually named after a type site where these characteristics were first observed (e.g. the Mousterian industry is named after the site of Le Moustier). By contrast, Neolithic axeheads from the Langdale axe industry were recognised as a type well before the centre at Great Langdale was identified by finds of debitage and other re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Middle Stone Age
The Middle Stone Age (or MSA) was a period of African prehistory between the Early Stone Age and the Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50–25,000 years ago. The beginnings of particular MSA stone tools have their origins as far back as 550–500,000 years ago and as such some researchers consider this to be the beginnings of the MSA. The MSA is often mistakenly understood to be synonymous with the Middle Paleolithic of Europe, especially due to their roughly contemporaneous time span, however, the Middle Paleolithic of Europe represents an entirely different hominin population, ''Homo neanderthalensis'', than the MSA of Africa, which did not have Neanderthal populations. Additionally, current archaeological research in Africa has yielded much evidence to suggest that modern human behavior and cognition was beginning to develop much earlier in Africa during the MSA than it was in Europe during the Middle Paleoli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
