Artifact (archaeology)An artifact or artefact (British English) is a general term for an item made or given shape by humans, such as a tool or a work of art, especially an object of archaeological interest. In archaeology, the word has become a term of particular nuance; it is defined as an object recovered by archaeological endeavor, including cultural artifacts (of cultural interest).
Biofact (archaeology)In archaeology, a biofact (or ecofact) is any organic material including flora or fauna material found at an archaeological site that has not been technologically altered by humans yet still has cultural relevance. Biofacts can include but are not limited to plants, seeds, pollen, animal bones, insects, fish bones and mollusks.
Mollusc shellThe mollusc (or mollusk) shell is typically a calcareous exoskeleton which encloses, supports and protects the soft parts of an animal in the phylum Mollusca, which includes snails, clams, tusk shells, and several other classes. Not all shelled molluscs live in the sea; many live on the land and in freshwater.
DebitageIn archaeology, debitage is all the material produced during the process of lithic reduction – the production of stone tools and weapons by knapping stone. This assemblage may include the different kinds of lithic flakes and lithic blades, but most often refers to the shatter and production debris, and production rejects. Debitage analysisDebitage analysis, a sub-field of lithic analysis, considers the entire lithic waste assemblage.
LandfillSite for the disposal of waste materials One of several landfills used by Dryden, Ontario, Canada A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials, including municipal solid waste. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate, and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was simply left in piles or thrown into pits (known in archeology as middens).
GarbageUnwanted material discarded by humans Collected garbage at Attero, Wijster, the Netherlands Litter dumped in a wetland area in the United States, among water lilies and marsh plants Part of a series onPollutionAir pollution from a factory Air Acid rain Air quality index Atmospheric dispersion modeling Chlorofluorocarbon Combustion Exhaust gas Haze Household air pollution Global dimming Global distillation Indoor air quality Non-exhaust emissions Ozone depletion Particulate matter Persistent organic pollutant Smog Soot Volatile organic compound Biological Biological hazard Genetic Illegal logging Introduced species Invasive species Digital Information Effects of violence in mass media Electromagnetic Light Ecological Overillumination Radio spectrum Natural Ozone Radium and radon in the environment Volcanic ash Wildfire Noise Transportation Health effects from noise Marine mammals and sonar Noise barrier Noise control Soundproofing Radiation Actinides Bioremediation Depleted uranium Nuclear fission Nuclear fallout Plutonium Poisoning Radioactivity Uranium Radioactive waste Soil Agricultural Land degradation Bioremediation Defecation Electrical resistance heating Illegal mining Soil guideline values Phytoremediation Solid waste Advertising mail Biodegradable waste Brown waste Electronic waste Food waste Green waste Hazardous waste Industrial waste Landfill Litter Mining Municipal solid waste Nanomaterials Plastic Packaging waste Post-consumer waste Waste management Space Space debris Thermal Urban heat island Visual Air travel Advertising clutter Overhead power lines Traffic signs Urban blight Vandalism War Chemical warfare Herbicidal warfare Agent Orange Nuclear holocaust Nuclear fallout Nuclear famine Nuclear winter Scorched earth Unexploded ordnance War and environmental law Water Agricultural wastewater Biosolids Diseases Eutrophication Firewater Freshwater Groundwater Hypoxia Industrial wastewater Marine Monitoring Nonpoint source Nutrient Ocean acidification Oil spill Pharmaceuticals Freshwater salinization Septic tanks Sewage Shipping Sludge Stagnation Sulfur water Surface runoff Turbidity Urban runoff Water quality Wastewater Topics History Pollutants Heavy metals Paint Misc Area source Brain health and pollution Debris Dust Garbology Legacy Midden Point source Technofossil Waste Toxic Lists Diseases Law by country Most polluted cities Least polluted cities by PM2.5 Treaties Most polluted rivers Categories By country Environment portal Ecology portalvte Garbage, trash (American English), rubbish (Commonwealth English), or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility.
FecesFeces (also faeces, fæces, poop, or poo) are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relatively small amount of metabolic waste products such as bacterially altered bilirubin and dead epithelial cells from the lining of the gut. Feces are discharged through the anus or cloaca during defecation.
Lithic flakeIn archaeology, a lithic flake is a "portion of rock removed from an objective piece by percussion or pressure," and may also be referred to as simply a flake, or collectively as debitage. The objective piece, or the rock being reduced by the removal of flakes, is known as a core.
BoneRigid organs of the skeleton of vertebratesA bone is a rigidorgan that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, help regulate acid-base homeostasis, provide structure and support for the body, and enable mobility and hearing. Bones come in a variety of shapes and sizes and have complex internal and external structures.
Feature (archaeology)In archaeological excavation, a feature is a collection of one or more contexts representing some human non-portable activity, such as a hearth or wall. Features serve as an indication that the area in which they are found has been interfered with in the past, usually by humans. Features are distinguished from artifacts in that they cannot be separated from their location without changing their form. Artifacts are portable, while features are non-portable.
Glossary of archaeologyThis page is a glossary of archaeology, the study of the human past from material remains.
BotanyBotany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology that studies the growth, reproduction and evolution of plants over the last 3.5 billion years of life on earth. As with all areas of biology and medicine, plants can be studied at range of levels from their biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology and genetics to their ecology, pathology, anatomy, morphology and taxonomy.
middenRelated word or term.middensRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.