Archaeological Vocabulary

noun a social science that involves the analysis of human behavior and society

• Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures.
• I find anthropology fascinating because it helps us understand different cultures.
• Anthropology is like studying humans but on a whole other level.
• In the anthropology of social media, we analyze the behavior of online communities.

noun the fundamental principles on which something is based

• The bedrock of this theory is based on empirical evidence.
• The bedrock of our friendship is trust and loyalty.
• She's been my rock, my bedrock through everything.
• Honesty and integrity are the bedrock of a strong character.

noun a rigid organ that constitutes part of the vertebrate skeleton in animals

verb None

adjective None

adverb None

pronoun None

preposition None

conjunction None

interjection None

article None

• The doctor examined the x-ray and found a fracture in the bone.
• I accidentally bumped my elbow and now my funny bone hurts.
• I heard he has a bone to pick with you about the project.
• She has a bone of contention with her neighbor over the property line.

noun a rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The forensic expert carefully examined the bones found at the crime scene.
• I heard that old man Johnson has a lot of bones buried in his backyard.
• I can't believe he has the bones to ask her out after what he did.
• She has a lot of skeletons in her closet, but she doesn't let them rattle her bones.

noun the place where a dead body is buried

• The burial ceremony was held at the local cemetery.
• We attended the burial of our neighbor's pet hamster.
• I heard there was a burial party at the old abandoned house last night.
• The burial of his hopes and dreams left him feeling lost and defeated.

noun the arrangement of events in the order of their occurrence

• The historian meticulously studied the chronology of events to accurately portray the sequence of historical events.
• I need to double-check the chronology of dates for my history project.
• I totally messed up the chronology of that story I was telling, oops!
• The chronology of her life events seemed to unfold like a carefully scripted movie plot.

noun a person who makes copies, especially of written documents

• The copyist meticulously transcribed the ancient manuscript.
• The copyist made sure to write down every detail from the document.
• The copyist was on point with duplicating the text.
• The copyist's pen danced across the page, creating a perfect replica of the original.

noun the quality or fact of being historical

• The historian emphasized the importance of analyzing the historicity of the ancient manuscript.
• We should look into the historicity of that old building before buying it.
• I don't trust the historicity of that story, it sounds too far-fetched.
• The historicity of his claims can be compared to a house of cards, easily toppled with scrutiny.

verb to write or carve words or symbols on a surface

adjective written or carved on a surface

• The names of the fallen soldiers were inscribed on the memorial wall.
• I got my initials inscribed on my new watch.
• We inscribed our group name on the back of our t-shirts.
• Her kindness was inscribed in everyone's memory.

adjective not damaged or impaired in any way; complete or whole

• The artifact was discovered in a tomb and found to be completely intact.
• I was relieved to find that my phone was still intact after dropping it.
• I can't believe his skateboard trick was so clean, he landed it totally intact!
• Despite facing many challenges, his spirit remained intact throughout the ordeal.

noun goods, money, or other valuables obtained illegally or by questionable means

verb to steal goods, money, or other valuables

• The thieves were caught red-handed with stolen loot from the bank.
• Let's split the loot evenly between us.
• We scored some sweet loot from that heist.
• She looted my heart with her charming smile.

noun the side of a coin, medal, or badge that bears the main design or inscription

adjective facing or turned towards the observer

• The obverse side of the coin features the portrait of the country's founding father.
• Check out the obverse of this coin - it has a cool design on it.
• I flipped the coin and it landed on the obverse, so I won the bet.
• On the obverse of success lies hard work and determination.

verb to lie over or upon; rest on top of

• The sedimentary rock overlying the shale layer is composed of sandstone.
• The new carpet overlies the old hardwood floor in the living room.
• I'm gonna lay low and let things overlie for a while.
• Her guilt overlying her true feelings caused her to act irrationally.

noun the process of turning organic material into stone or a stony substance

• The process of petrification can take thousands of years to occur in certain types of wood.
• I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the petrification of that tree stump in the forest.
• Dude, that movie was so boring, I felt like I was in a state of petrification the whole time.
• The petrification of her emotions after the breakup was evident in her distant demeanor.

noun a piece of pottery or other material decorated in several different colors

adjective having various colors; multicolored

• The polychrome artwork displayed a vibrant array of colors and patterns.
• I love how the polychrome design on that shirt really pops.
• Check out the polychrome graffiti on that wall, it's sick!
• Her personality was like a polychrome tapestry, full of diverse and contrasting qualities.

noun a small remaining quantity of something

adjective remaining or leftover

• The archaeologists discovered a remnant of an ancient civilization buried deep underground.
• I found a remnant of my favorite shirt in the back of my closet.
• I snagged a remnant of the cake before anyone else could get to it.
• The old building was the last remnant of a bygone era in the neighborhood.

noun a person or thing that is sacrificed

adjective relating to or involving sacrifice

• The ancient ritual involved a sacrificial offering to appease the gods.
• The villagers made a sacrificial gesture to thank their ancestors.
• I can't believe you made such a sacrificial move in the game!
• She made a sacrificial decision to prioritize her family over her career.

verb to be completely covered or hidden under a liquid

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The ancient city was discovered submerged in water after years of being hidden.
• I can't believe my phone got submerged in the pool, now it won't turn on.
• He was so drunk he ended up getting completely submerged in the bathtub.
• She felt like she was submerged in a sea of paperwork at work.

adjective not disturbed or interrupted; remaining in a calm, peaceful state

• The archaeological site remained undisturbed for centuries until it was finally excavated.
• I like to find a quiet spot in the park where I can sit undisturbed and read a book.
• I was just trying to chill and watch TV, but my roommate kept bothering me. I just wanted to be left undisturbed.
• Her resolve to stay focused and undisturbed by distractions helped her achieve her goals.

adjective describing a surface or object that does not have any distinguishing marks or signs

adverb used to modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb to indicate the absence of marking or distinguishing features

• The unmarked grave was located in the far corner of the cemetery.
• I found an unmarked trail that leads to a hidden waterfall.
• The package was left on the doorstep of the unmarked house.
• Her emotions remained unmarked by the events of the day.

noun a type of sedimentary rock formed by the accumulation of regurgitated material

verb None

adjective None

adverb None

pronoun None

preposition None

conjunction None

interjection None

article None

• The geologist discovered a layer of regurgitalite in the sedimentary rock formation.
• I heard that regurgitalite is made up of fossilized fish bones and shells.
• Some people call regurgitalite 'puke rock' because of its origins.
• The artist's work was like regurgitalite, a mixture of different elements coming together in a unique way.

noun the branch of science that studies pollen grains and spores, especially their use in dating rock strata and in determining the past climates of the earth

• Palynology is the study of pollen grains and spores found in archaeological or geological deposits.
• I never knew palynology was a thing until I took that biology class.
• Palynology sounds like a fancy word for studying tiny plant stuff.
• In a way, palynology is like solving a puzzle using microscopic clues from the past.

adjective relating to the study of ancient diseases in human and animal remains

• The study of paleopathological evidence can provide valuable insights into ancient health conditions.
• Learning about paleopathological findings is like uncovering medical mysteries from the past.
• Checking out the paleopathological stuff is like diving into ancient medical records.
• Exploring paleopathological data is like deciphering the health history of our ancestors.

noun a person who studies ancient diseases and injuries in human and animal remains

• The paleopathologist analyzed the skeletal remains to determine the cause of death.
• The paleopathologist studied the old bones to figure out how the person died.
• The bone detective checked out the ancient skeleton to see what happened to the person.
• The paleopathologist was like a medical detective, piecing together the story of the deceased from their bones.

noun A person who studies and explores caves, especially as a hobby

• The speleologist conducted a thorough exploration of the cave system.
• The speleologist went deep into the caves to study them.
• The cave nerd was all about that spelunking life.
• As a speleologist of the mind, she delved into the depths of human consciousness.

noun a piece of wood shaped like a policeman's club, formerly used as a weapon by the Australian aborigines

• The rancher used a waddy to herd the cattle.
• I found a cool waddy at the antique shop.
• Let's go grab our waddies and hit the road.
• Her sharp wit was her best waddy in a debate.

noun a pedestal or ornament at the apex of a gable in classical architecture

• The acroterion is a decorative element often found on the pediment of classical architecture.
• I never noticed the acroterion on top of the building until someone pointed it out to me.
• Check out that cool acroterion on the roof, it really adds some flair to the building.
• The acroterion symbolizes the pinnacle of achievement in their field.

adjective describing a person or thing that is bound or attached to a particular place, organization, or system

• In feudal societies, serfs were often adscripted to the land they worked on.
• The workers on the farm were adscripted to their jobs and couldn't easily leave.
• I feel like I'm adscripted to this boring routine.
• Her love for him felt adscripted in her heart, unable to be erased.

adjective relating to or derived from something outside; not inherent or innate

• The adscriptitious clause was added to the contract to clarify certain terms.
• I don't understand why there's an adscriptitious rule about wearing hats in the office.
• Why do we have to follow all these adscriptitious regulations?
• The adscriptitious burden of responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders.