Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World

lution was to impress another symbol on the outside of the bulla for each token it contained. In time the documentation system w ...

few manuscripts of any northwest Semitic language remain from before the Common Era (although inscriptions in stone survived). H ...

Scribes were a standard part of ancient Indian govern- ments. Every court of law was required to have one. Kings had them for re ...

for some time before the oldest surviving examples of runic script were written. Early runic inscriptions consist for the most p ...

Generally, the writing was done on the horizontal strips. Sheets made in this way were joined into scrolls about 5 or 6 yards in ...

Writing was important for offi cial and military communica- tion throughout the vast empire. One of the most important archaeolo ...

could be said that ancient Romans lived in a culture of letter writing, oft en using daily letters and replies as a way of keep- ...

FURTHER READING David N. Carvalho, “Forty Centuries of Ink.” World Wide School. Available online. URL: http://www.worldwideschoo ...

0895-1194_Soc&Culturev4(s-z).i1194 1194 10/10/07 2:31:25 PM ...

1195 abacus A device used for making calculations by sliding beads or counters along rods attached to a board. abax A fl at boar ...

1196 Glossary amurca Th e dregs of pressed olives. ancestor worship Th e spiritual veneration of one’s deceased parents, grandpa ...

Glossary 1197 automata Devices that use hidden mechanical forces (steam, water, pulleys) to move objects in such a way that they ...

1198 Glossary cadastral Relating to a register recording property owner- ship boundaries, typically used to apportion taxes. cae ...

Glossary 1199 Chi-Rho A symbol formed by the fi rst two letters of Christ’s Greek name (Christos), consisting of the letter Rho ...

1200 Glossary smaller diameter until the stones meet at the apex and can lean against one another for support. cordage Twisted f ...

Glossary 1201 deferent A hypothetical circle along which moves the ep- icycle, a theoretical orbit of the earth, sun, moon, and ...

1202 Glossary drachm Ancient Greek silver coin equal to the weight of a drachma, or approximately one-eighth ounce. drachma A we ...

Glossary 1203 ethnocentrism Th e concept that one’s group, however de- fi ned, is superior to all other groups. ethnography Th e ...

1204 Glossary gerontocracy A form of social organization in which the oldest men and women in a society are expected to guide an ...

Glossary 1205 himation A rectangular outer mantle draped in various ways and worn by the ancient Greeks. Hippocratic bench A ben ...