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pa Maori earthwork enclosures on New Zealand
paleoanthropology study of earliest humans from fossil remains
paleobotany study of fossil plants
paleomagnetic dating method of dating baked clay structures (ovens, kilns, hearths) based on correlating the magnetic direction of the enclosed iron particles to known variations in the earth's magnetic direction; also known as archaeomagnetic dating
paleontology study of fossils
palynology the study of pollen and spores
pan ritual bronze serving vessel
papyrus an aquatic plant native to Egypt, from whose stems a type of paper was made
páramo high-altitude grasslands of the northern Andes
passage grave a type of chamber tomb in which the burial chamber is reached via a long passage from the edge of the covering mound
pediment the triangular area below the roof pitch at either end of a building
peer-polity interaction the full range of interchanges - diffusion, emulation, warfare, interaction, material exchange - that take
place between different societies, generally within the same geographical area; sometimes responsible for secondary state formation
peripteral temple one in which the central chamber is surrounded on all four sides by a colonnade
phalange finger or toe bone
phenotype a set of genes possessed by a particular group
phylogeny an evolutionary pedigree, or family tree
phytoliths minute particles of silica derived from the cells of plants, able to survive after the organism has decomposed or been burned; common in ash layers, pottery, and even on stone tools
piece-mold technique bronze-casting method in which the vessel was cast in sections, which were then joined with mortises and tenons
pithos (pl. pithoi) large Greek storage jar
postcranium the skeleton below the head
postprocessual archaeology an approach which questions the rigidly scientific methods of archaeology in favor of a variety of "individualist" approaches and multiple interpretations
potlatch a competitive and feasting ceremony common among Northwest Coast peoples of North America
prehistory the period of human history before the invention of writing
processual archaeology see New Archaeology
prognathic having a projecting jaw
pseudomorphs the space left by decayed organic objects within brecciated sediments
puna high-altitude grasslands in the Andes; in the central Andes they are referred to as wet puna, whereas in the southern Andes they are called the dry or salt puna
punctuated equilibrium model of human evolution in which periods of rapid, dramatic change occur over short periods of time, separated by longer periods of little change
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