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(Terms in italics are defined elsewhere in the glossary)
obsidian A volcanic glass whose ease of working and characteristically hard flint-like edges allowed it to be used for the making of tools. (Chapters 4, 9, etc.)
obsidian hydration dating This technique involves the absorption of water on exposed surfaces of obsidian; when the local hydration rate is known, the thickness of the hydration layer, if accurately measured, can be used to provide an absolute date. (Chapter 4)
off-site data Evidence from a range of information, including scatters of artifacts and features such as plowmarks and field boundaries, that provides important evidence about human exploitation of the environment. (Chapter 3)
Oldowan industry The earliest toolkits, comprising flake and pebble tools, used by hominids in the Olduvai Gorge, East Africa. (Chapters 4 & 8)
open-area excavation The opening up of large horizontal areas for excavation , used especially where single period deposits lie close to the surface as, for example, with the remains of American Indian or European Neolithic long houses. (Chapter 3)
optical emission spectrometry (OES) A technique used in the analysis of artifact composition, based on the principle that electrons, when excited (i.e. heated to a high temperature), release light of a particular wavelength. The presence or absence of various elements is established by examining the appropriate spectral line of their characteristic wavelengths. Generally, this method gives an accuracy of only 25 percent and has been superseded by ICPS ( inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry ) . (Chapter 9)
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