1210 Glossaryobol A weight of metal in ancient Greece, equivalent to
one-sixth of a drachma.
obsidian A volcanic glass that was used in making tools.
obverse Th e “heads” side of a coin; this side of a coin oft en,
but not always, contains a portrait bust.
ocarina A wind instrument, oft en oval in shape, with fi n-
ger holes and a projecting mouthpiece.
ocher A powdery form of iron-rich earth or clay widely
used as a pigment.
octant A navigational device used for measuring angles to
a celestial body as a way to calculate position, with a cali-
bration of 45 degrees.
odeion A Greek roofed hall used for musical performances
oenology Th e science of making wine.
off ering formula A text inscribed on some funerary goods
to magically provide sustenance for the deceased in the
aft erlife.
off ering table A place where Egyptian priests or family
members could place provisions for the deceased, oft en
in the shape of a cone-shaped loaf of bread on a table.
oikistes (pl. oikistai) Th e founder of a Greek apoikia, re-
sponsible for establishing the city walls and distributing
land among its settlers.
oikonomia A Greek word translating roughly to “house-
hold regulation,” from which the English word economy
derives.
oikos (pl. oikoi) In Greece and the ancient Near East, a great
household, typically a temple, palace, or large estate, that
controlled the labor, production, and consumption of its
many members, most of whom were not related; a basic
economic unit.
oligarchy A form of government in which rule resides
jointly in the hands of a few people, usually the wealthi-
est and most powerful.
olla (or aula) A deep, round-bottomed Roman vessel used
for boiling stews or porridge.
omen Any event in nature that provides insight into the
future.
onomastica Catalogues of things arranged under their
kinds, not alphabetically.
opening of the mouth ceremony Funerary ritual that en-
abled the deceased to breathe, eat, and talk in the aft er-
life.
oppidum (pl. oppida) A type of fortifi ed town that was de-
veloped before the Roman Iron Age in western Europe
and was a center of residential, administrative, commer-
cial, and industrial activities
oracle bones Bones of animals, typically shoulder blades
(usually of oxen), and also turtle shells that were heated
to produce cracks, which were analyzed by those seeking
to divine the future.
oracle A person, such as a priest, through whom a god is
believed to speak.
oratory Th e art of public speaking.
orature Oral literature in ancient Africa.orchestra A fl at, circular area in which much of the action
of a Greek drama occurred, situated between the specta-
tors’ seating area and the stage.
order Th e three ancient Greek styles of building design.
ore A naturally occurring mineral from which metals can
be extracted.
orrery A mechanical model that reproduces the movements
of heavenly bodies.
orthogonal planning City plan in which the perpendicular
axes of streets create square city blocks.
orthostat An upright stone or slab used by architects in
buildings.
osteomyelitis Bacterial infection of the bones and bone
marrow.
ostracon (pl. ostraca) A fragment of pottery, typically car-
rying an inscription or drawing.
outcastes A person in ancient India who had no caste or
had been ejected from a caste for violation of customs
and rules.
outlier A language geographically detached and possibly
remote from the range of the languages closely related
to it.
outrigger A fl oat attached by spars, or poles, to a watercraft.
overdying Successively dying a thread with individual col-
ors until the desired color is reached.
overtone series In music, a number of higher notes pro-
duced simultaneously above a lower continuous drone.
oxidize To combine with oxygen.
pack animal An animal used to carry loads on its back.
paedagogus In ancient Rome, an educated slave who served
as a tutor in ancient Rome.
paidotribēs In ancient Greece, a gymnastics teacher, work-
ing on physical fi tness and the vigorous games that
formed the basis of public competition and prepared
young men for war.
palaestra Facility for training in wrestling and boxing in
ancient Greece.
palanquin A litter or carriage body on poles, carried on the
shoulders of men or women.
paleoclimatologist A scientist who studies long-term
changes in climate on the earth throughout the planets
four-billion-year existence
paleographic Having to do with ancient writings.
paleopathologists Scientists who study disease in prehis-
toric populations through examination of skeletal and
tissue remains, coprolites, and works of art.
palette A fl at stone tray, oft en decorated with carved de-
signs, upon which colored minerals (such as malachite or
hematite) were ground to make cosmetics.
palisade A fence made of upright stakes or posts set very
closely together; a stockade.
pallium A rectangular woolen mantle worn by lower-class
Romans.
panchayat In India, a council at the village level, respon-
sible for dealing with local crime and punishment.1195-1234_SocCultAnctWrld-v4_bm.1210 1210 10/10/07 3:30:38 PM