C2 · 50 words
Archaeology in Spanish
Excavation, stratification, dating, interpretation — how earth becomes evidence.
El yacimiento arqueológico is the site, and el yacimiento by itself is a word we would translate two different ways depending on what is buried. It comes from yacer, to lie — the same verb on a gravestone, aquí yace, here lies. What lies there may be a settlement, and then it is a site; or it may be gas, coal or copper, and then it is a deposit or a field: un yacimiento de gas, un yacimiento de cobre. Spanish sees one thing in both cases, something lying where it was left, and lets the sentence say whether an archaeologist or a mining engineer is speaking.
The words
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Phrase (41)
la prospección superficialthe walking of a field to collect what lies on the surfacePhraseC2
La prospección superficial recoge sin excavar.Surface survey collects without excavating.
la prospección geofísicathe reading of the ground with instruments instead of a spadePhraseC2
La prospección geofísica ve estructuras bajo tierra.Geophysical survey sees structures under the ground.
el yacimiento arqueológicothe place where the remains liePhraseC2
El yacimiento arqueológico se delimita antes de intervenir.The archaeological site is defined before any work begins.
la cuadrícula de excavaciónthe grid that gives everything its coordinatesPhraseC2
La cuadrícula de excavación fija las coordenadas de todo.The excavation grid fixes the coordinates of everything.
el sondeo arqueológicothe small trial trench dug before opening an areaPhraseC2
El sondeo arqueológico comprueba antes de abrir en extensión.The trial trench checks before an area is opened.
la unidad estratigráficathe single deposit or cut, numbered once and never againPhraseC2
La unidad estratigráfica se numera y no se repite.The stratigraphic unit is numbered and never repeated.
la secuencia estratigráficathe order the deposits lie in, which gives sequence and not datePhraseC2
La secuencia estratigráfica da el orden, no la fecha.The stratigraphic sequence gives the order, not the date.
el estrato de ocupaciónthe layer left behind by people living therePhraseC2
El estrato de ocupación contiene lo que se dejó al vivir.The occupation layer holds what was left behind by living there.
el nivel de destrucciónthe layer of burning and collapse, which preserves more than usualPhraseC2
El nivel de destrucción suele conservar más de lo normal.The destruction level usually preserves more than usual.
la interfaz negativathe feature that is an absence: a pit, a cut, something removedPhraseC2
La interfaz negativa es una fosa, un corte, algo quitado.The negative interface is a pit, a cut, something taken away.
la matriz de Harristhe diagram that puts every unit in order in timePhraseC2
La matriz de Harris ordena todas las unidades en el tiempo.The Harris matrix puts all the units in order in time.
el registro de campothe record made on site, which is all that is left of the trenchPhraseC2
El registro de campo es lo único que queda del corte.The field record is the only thing left of the trench.
la ficha de unidadthe sheet filled in before anything is liftedPhraseC2
La ficha de unidad se rellena antes de retirar nada.The context sheet is filled in before anything is removed.
el hallazgo en contextothe object recorded where it lay, which is worth far more than the objectPhraseC2
El hallazgo en contexto vale mucho más que la pieza sola.A find in context is worth far more than the object alone.
el material mueblethe finds that can be carried awayPhraseC2
El material mueble se sigla pieza a pieza.Movable finds are marked piece by piece.
la siglación de la piezathe marking of each find with the square it came fromPhraseC2
La siglación de la pieza une el objeto con su cuadrícula.Marking the piece ties the object to its square.
el ajuar funerariothe things put in the grave, which say more about the livingPhraseC2
El ajuar funerario dice más de los vivos que del muerto.Grave goods say more about the living than about the dead.
la inhumación arqueológicathe burial of a body, dug with a stick and a brushPhraseC2
La inhumación arqueológica se excava con palillo y brocha.An inhumation is excavated with a stick and a brush.
la cremación prehistóricathe burial of ashes, which leaves the bone in small piecesPhraseC2
La cremación prehistórica deja huesos muy fragmentados.A prehistoric cremation leaves very fragmented bone.
la tipología cerámicathe ordering of pottery by shape and by fabricPhraseC2
La tipología cerámica ordena por forma y por pasta.Ceramic typology orders by shape and by fabric.
la datación relativathe dating that gives before and after, not whenPhraseC2
La datación relativa dice antes y después, no cuándo.Relative dating says before and after, not when.
la datación absolutathe dating that gives a figure with a range around itPhraseC2
La datación absoluta pone un número con su margen.Absolute dating puts a number with its margin.
el carbono catorcethe dating that needs something that once livedPhraseC2
El carbono catorce necesita materia orgánica.Radiocarbon needs organic material.
la calibración de la fechathe correcting of that figure into real calendar yearsPhraseC2
La calibración de la fecha convierte el resultado en años reales.Calibration turns the result into real years.
el efecto reservoriothe distortion that makes marine samples look olderPhraseC2
El efecto reservorio envejece falsamente las muestras marinas.The reservoir effect makes marine samples falsely old.
el análisis de isótoposthe analysis that says where a person grew upPhraseC2
El análisis de isótopos indica de dónde venía una persona.Isotope analysis indicates where a person came from.
el ADN antiguothe genetic material recovered from old remainsPhraseC2
El ADN antiguo exige un laboratorio limpio hasta el extremo.Ancient DNA demands a laboratory clean to an extreme.
la contaminación de la muestrathe modern trace that ruins any resultPhraseC2
La contaminación de la muestra arruina cualquier resultado.Contamination of the sample ruins any result.
la industria líticathe whole of the worked stone from a sitePhraseC2
La industria lítica se clasifica por técnica de talla.The lithic industry is classified by knapping technique.
el núcleo de tallathe block the flakes were struck fromPhraseC2
El núcleo de talla permite reconstruir los golpes.The core allows the blows to be reconstructed.
el remontaje de piezasthe fitting back together of the pieces, which proves nothing movedPhraseC2
El remontaje de piezas demuestra que el suelo no se movió.Refitting the pieces shows that the deposit did not move.
la arqueología experimentalthe repeating of the old gesture in order to understand itPhraseC2
La arqueología experimental repite el gesto para comprenderlo.Experimental archaeology repeats the gesture in order to understand it.
la arqueología del paisajethe study of the whole territory rather than the single spotPhraseC2
La arqueología del paisaje mira el territorio, no el punto.Landscape archaeology looks at the territory, not the point.
la arqueología urbanathe excavation done in a town, against the clock of the building sitePhraseC2
La arqueología urbana trabaja bajo la prisa de la obra.Urban archaeology works under the haste of the building site.
la excavación de urgenciathe excavation of what is about to be destroyedPhraseC2
La excavación de urgencia documenta lo que va a desaparecer.Rescue excavation records what is going to disappear.
la conservación in situthe leaving of remains in the ground, which is better than digging themPhraseC2
La conservación in situ es preferible a excavar.Conservation in place is preferable to excavating.
la consolidación del murothe strengthening of a wall, kept visibly different from the originalPhraseC2
La consolidación del muro se distingue de lo original.The consolidation of the wall is kept distinct from the original.
la carta arqueológicathe register of known sites that must be checked before buildingPhraseC2
La carta arqueológica obliga a comprobar antes de construir.The archaeological register obliges a check before building.
el expolio del yacimientothe illegal digging that destroys the context for goodPhraseC2
El expolio del yacimiento destruye el contexto para siempre.Looting a site destroys the context for ever.
el detector de metales ilegalthe unlicensed search that lifts the object and erases the informationPhraseC2
El detector de metales ilegal saca el objeto y borra la información.The illegal metal detector takes out the object and erases the information.
la memoria de excavaciónthe report handed in whether or not anything is ever publishedPhraseC2
La memoria de excavación se entrega aunque no se publique.The excavation report is handed in even if it is not published.
Noun (f) (8)
la arqueologíathe discipline that destroys what it studies and therefore records itNoun (f)C2
La arqueología destruye lo que estudia y por eso lo documenta.Archaeology destroys what it studies and for that reason records it.
la seriaciónthe ordering of assemblages by how their styles changeNoun (f)C2
La seriación ordena sin necesitar fechas absolutas.Seriation orders without needing absolute dates.
la dendrocronologíathe dating by tree rings, which can name the exact yearNoun (f)C2
La dendrocronología puede llegar al año exacto.Dendrochronology can reach the exact year.
la termoluminiscenciathe dating of the last time something was heatedNoun (f)C2
La termoluminiscencia data el último calentamiento.Thermoluminescence dates the last heating.
la arqueobotánicathe study of the seeds and plants that were leftNoun (f)C2
La arqueobotánica reconstruye la dieta a partir de semillas.Archaeobotany reconstructs the diet from seeds.
la arqueozoologíathe study of the animal bones and the marks on themNoun (f)C2
La arqueozoología lee las marcas de corte en los huesos.Archaeozoology reads the cut marks on the bones.
la traceologíathe reading of wear to say what a tool was used onNoun (f)C2
La traceología deduce el uso por el desgaste.Use-wear analysis deduces the use from the wear.
la anastilosisthe putting back of fallen pieces in their own placesNoun (f)C2
La anastilosis recoloca piezas caídas en su sitio.Anastylosis puts fallen pieces back in their place.
Noun (m) (1)
el georradarthe radar that draws the walls without opening the groundNoun (m)C2
El georradar dibuja los muros sin abrir el suelo.Ground-penetrating radar draws the walls without opening the ground.
This list belongs to History, research and data — nine lists and 450 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.