1218 Glossarytribunal Th e raised platform at one end of a basilica from
where a judge or other magistrates presided over a hear-
ing or tried legal cases.
tribune An elected representative of the plebeians of Rome.
tribute Goods, labor, or payment off ered to t he r u l i ng cla ss-
es, usually by obligation, in exchange for their rulership.
triclinium A Roman dining room containing three couches
on which men reclined to eat.
trilithon A megalithic structure made of two large vertical
stones supporting a horizontal stone laid across the top.
trireme An ancient ship with three rows of oars on each
side.
trittys Political division in Athens consisting of several
contiguous demes.
trypanosomiasis A disease caused by parasitic single-celled
organisms generally transmitted by insect bites; the form
popularly known as “sleeping sickness” is transmitted by
tsetse fl ies.
tsetse fl y A fl y that spreads diseases among cattle and hu-
mans, including sleeping sickness.
tsunami A giant wave or series of waves created by earth-
quakes, volcanic eruptions, or other major impact to an
ocean.
tubers Rounded roots, such as the potato, that grow under-
ground.
tufa Soft volcanic rock that was frequently used as a fi ller or
as facing stone in Roman buildings.
tumbaga An alloy of gold and copper used by the ancient
Peruvians.
tumulus (pl. tumuli) An artifi cial mound built, in ancient
Europe, usually over the remains of the dead; also called
a barrow.
tundra A vast, cold, treeless plain characteristic of arctic
and subarctic regions.
tunic A T-shaped garment with openings at the top for the
head and arms.
turf Sod; a mat of grass and its roots.
tuyere Nozzle through which air is delivered into a fur-
nace.
twill Fabric threads interwoven to give the cloth a parallel
diagonal, diamond shape or herringbone ridges on the
surface.
typhoon A hurricane occurring in the western Pacifi c re-
gion.
typology Within the discipline of historical linguistics, the
characteristic of surface structural similarity.
tyrannos (pl. tyrannoi) In ancient Greece, sole ruler with-
out hereditary claim to the throne; the word sometimes
has negative connotations but less so than the English
word tyrant.
Ty r i a n p u r p l e An ancient dye made from the secretions of
marine snails and very highly valued throughout the an-
cient Mediterranean world.
Tzol k in Mayan sacred calendar based on a 260-day ritual
cycle.unguent A medicinal or cosmetic ointment.
univira A matron who had the honorable distinction of
having married only once in her life and not having di-
vorced.
untouchables People without caste in India, the lowest so-
cial group.
urbs Latin word for “city.”
ushabtis In ancient Egypt, small fi gurines that were buried
with the dead to accompany them into the underworld
and work for them in the aft erlife.
uttariya A scarf that covered the upper body, worn by an-
cient Indians.
vallus Ancient Roman reaping machine pulled by an an-
imal and used to cut off the heads of wheat stalks and
drop them in a container.
varna Associated with Hinduism; the name in India for the
original social division of people into four main groups,
which in turn contain thousands of subdivisions.
vassal A person, nation, or group that is dependent on or
subordinate to another.
vault An arched brick or stone ceiling or roof.
Vedic laws Legal codes based on religious texts, such as the
sacred writings of Hinduism.
vela A linen awning covering a Roman theater; sometimes
called a velarium.
vellum A special kind of leather used to make sheets for
writing. In general this was more prestigious and expen-
sive than papyrus.
venatio Beast hunts that were conducted as a spectator
sport in ancient Roman amphitheaters.
venator Hunter in a staged wild-animal hunt in the Roman
arena.
veneer Th in strips of decorative wood applied to the sur-
face of an object to hide a wood of less aesthetic value or
to mask imperfections.
vestal virgins Th e priestesses of the Roman hearth god-
dess, Vesta, who were required to be virgins and en-
trusted with keeping a sacred fl ame burning in Vesta’s
temple.
vigesimal Referring to a number system based on 20.
vihara In Indian architecture, a small building consisting
of cubicles arranged around a central courtyard, used by
monks and visitors to meditate and do penance.
villa A self-suffi cient community, including a residential
building, gardens, workshops, and cultivated fi elds.
viticulture Th e science of growing grapes.
vivisection Th e cutting open of a living being for the inves-
tigational or diagnostic purposes.
vizier In ancient Egypt, the highest-ranking government
offi cial aft er the pharaoh.
volute A type of spiral scrollwork.
votive Given or done in fulfi llment of a vow or pledge.
wabet Th e workshop in which bodies were embalmed be-
fore burial in ancient Egypt.
warp In weaving, the threads that run lengthwise.1195-1234_SocCultAnctWrld-v4_bm.1218 1218 10/10/07 3:30:39 PM