See Also: postscript(medicine)
postscript(dictionary)
postscript(dictionary)

excavation (sh) and postscript (iou)


excavation (sh)




In archaeology, the exposure, recording, and recovery of buried material remains.

The techniques employed vary by the type of site, but all forms of archaeological excavation require great skill and careful preparation. The process begins with site location, by means of aerial Photography, remote sensing, or, commonly, accidental discovery by construction crews. This step is followed by surveying and mapping, site sampling, and developing an excavation plan. The design and execution of an excavation frequently require an interdisciplinary team of experts. The actual digging consists of the removal of surplus dirt and the painstaking examination, through observation, sifting, and Other means, of remaining soil, artifacts, and context. Common dig tools include the trowel, penknife, and brush. The excavation phase is followed by artifact classification, analysis, Dating, and the publication of results. Excavation may last decades or be a short-term emergency salvage operation (as when a site is threatened by development).


postscript (iou)



postscript noun & verb. M16.
[from POSTSCRIPTUM.]
A. noun.
A paragraph or remark at the end of a letter after the signature, containing an afterthought or additional matter. M16.
S. Weintraub The Duke's equerry, the letter added in a postscript, would be sent..to handle all details.
An additional passage at the end of any text. M17.
C. Wilson He wrote a postscript to his article..admitting that his earlier views were inadequate.
A thing appended; an additional or conclusory action; an afterthought, a sequel. L19.
G. W. Thornbury Brentford always a mere ecclesiastical postscript to Hanwell or Ealing. Listener Would he have expanded.., or remained as much a postscript from the nineties as Max?
(PostScript.) Computing. (Proprietary name for) a language used as a standard for describing pages of text. Freq. attrib. L20.
b. verb trans. Put a postscript to. Also, provide as a postscript. rare. M19.
post'scriptal adjective of the Nature of or relating to a postscript L19.