Glossary

Alloy A mixture of two or more elemental metals to form a new metal with specific qualities.

Barrow A burial mound that covers a grave, usually of earth in contrast to a cairn; also known as a tumulus or kurgan. cairn A mound of stones, either over a burial chamber or grave or from the clearance of fields. chiefdom A form of social organization characterized by

Differences in access to status, power, and wealth that are passed down from one generation to the next. heterarchy A structure of social organization in which the ability to make decisions is not concentrated at the top but rather spread among many cooperating individuals. hillfort A fortified hilltop, usually by means of ramparts, ditches, and embankments.

Hoard A buried deposit of artifacts, usually ones of fine quality or value, not associated with a settlement or burial. longhouse An elongated wooden post structure, primarily for dwelling but often including stables and workspaces. lur (pl. lurer) A Bronze Age bronze horn from southern

Scandinavia consisting of a long curving tube cast in sections and ending in a circular plate.

Palisade A fence or stockade constructed of closely set wooden posts, set either in individual postholes or in a continuous trench. palstave A Bronze Axe tupe in which the blade is divided from the heel by a ridge, with flanges on the heel forming grooves to enable connection to a handle.

Sarsen A type of sandstone from the Marlborough Downs in southern England that was used in a number of prehistoric monuments including Avebury and Stonehenge. wattle and daub A method of wall construction in which mud is plastered over a lattice of sticks and branches.

Between about 2500 and 800 BC, the prehistoric societies of northern and western Europe were characterized by increasing technological sophistication and the emergence of social and economic systems that were more complex than those of the Neolithic period. Archaeologists refer to this period in Europe as the ‘Bronze Age’, a term which has been in use for nearly two centuries and is based on the widespread use of bronze for weapons and ornaments. In fact, the concept of an intervening period between the preceding milleniums when people used only stone and the subsequent appearance of iron metallurgy has its roots in northern and western Europe, although it is now common to speak of a Bronze Age in many other parts of the Old World as well.