Glossary 1213prytanis (pl. prytaneis) Member of the executive committee
presiding over the Athenian boulē, or citizens’ council.
psephismata Decrees, that is, decisions of the Assembly in
Athens that pertained to a specifi c situation and did not
establish a permanent law.
pseudepigraphic Having a false title.
publicani Wealthy partners in Roman companies that in-
vested large sums in bidding for state contracts to collect
taxes or operate facilities like state-owned mines.
pueblos Native American communal dwellings built in cliff
faces.
pulmentarium In ancient Rome, stew or porridge made of
grains or beans.
pulque An alcoholic beverage made by ancient Mesoameri-
cans from the fermented juice of various agave plants,
such as the maguey.
purdah An Indian woman’s garment that covers the entire
body.
pututu Traditional Andean musical instrument made by
drilling a large seashell at its point to make a mouth-
piece.
pylons Large gates with two abbreviated pyramids on each
side.
pyrotechnology Th e process of transforming a raw mate-
rial such as clay into its fi nal form using fi re.
Pythagorean theorem A technique for fi nding the length
of a side of a right triangle if the other two sides are
known, based on the fact that the area of the squares
made from any two sides have a known relationship to
that made by the remaining side (a^2 + b^2 = c^2 , where c is
the hypotenuse).
qanat An irrigation system of underground tunnels devel-
oped by ancient Persians.
quadratum A building technique in which blocks of
dressed stone were fastened to a concrete wall to form a
regular facing.
quaestor In the government of ancient Rome, an offi cial
who handled fi nancial matters: collecting customs or
duties at ports and rent for Rome’s public lands, running
the city’s treasury, and helping a provincial governor ad-
ministrate his province.
quay A wharf built parallel to the shoreline.
quern A smooth stone used as a surface for grinding
grain.
quetzal A b i r d i n d i g e n o u s t o G u a t e m a l a w i t h f e a t h e r s g r e a t-
ly favored for making ancient ceremonial garments.
quinoa A pseudograin, consisting of the seeds of a herb
from the goosefoot family and used by ancient Meso-
americans in making bread.
quinquireme A large multi-oared vessel; the oars are
thought to have been arranged in sets of three, with two
men pulling each of the top two oars.
quotidian Relating to common, everyday life.
radiocarbon dating (carbon-14 dating) A method that re-
lies on the carbon-14 isotope (a specifi c form of carbon),which has a predictable rate of decay over time, to date
historical artifacts based on the amount of carbon-14 re-
maining within a particular sample
raised relief A form of stone carving where the background
is cut away, leaving the fi gures to stand out from the sur-
face of the stone.
raja Indian title of nobility.
rampart A raised fortifi cation resembling a wall and sur-
rounding a township or other area to be protected.
rebate A continuous rectangular recess along the top or
bottom edge of the face of stonework.
recession agriculture A way of scheduling agricultural
production by planting crops aft er the recession, or re-
ceding, of annual fl oodwaters in a river valley.
reciprocity Type of exchange that takes place between two
individuals when neither is dominant.
rede A Germanic word meaning “leadership” or “gover-
nance,” especially if favored by the gods.
regent Someone who rules in a monarch’s stead, especially
when the monarch is a child.
regimen Lifestyle, largely diet and exercise, prescribed by
ancient Greek physicians to treat ill health.
reincarnation Th e rebirth of a soul into a new human be-
ing (or other creature).
relics Objects venerated by Christians, oft en fragments of
a saint’s body or objects related to a saint’s martyrdom
or life.
relief Artwork that projects outward from a fl at background;
a coin, with its raised forms, is a common example of
relief work.
rendered Melted; used in connection with animal fats
melted for use as fuel.
repoussé A method for creating designs in relief on metal
by hammering on the reverse side.
retentura Th e quarters of ordinary soldiers and cavalry,
placed at the rear of a Roman fort or camp.
retiarius Gladiator armed with a net; from the Latin for
“net.”
reticulum A pattern of stones or bricks laid into a wall in
regular, rectangular blocks.
retting A process in which fi bers that make up the stems of
certain plants, such as jute and fl ax, are detached from their
woody core by soaking the fi bers in water for several days.
reverse Th e “tails” side of a coin, with a wide range of de-
sign types and images.
revetment A decorative thin slab of stone, or facing, on a
wall.
rhetor In ancient Rome, a teacher of public speaking.
rhetoric Th e study of principles and techniques that aid in
the eff ective presentation and defense of a line of reason-
ing; also simply eloquence in speaking.
rhizome An elongated, underground (or underwater) hori-
zontal stem from which roots and shoots emerge.
rhizotomoi Pharmacists or herbalists (literally “root cut-
ters”) in ancient Greece.1195-1234_SocCultAnctWrld-v4_bm.1213 1213 10/10/07 3:30:38 PM