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Glossary Archaeology
The field of science that studies objects made or used by humans. Archaeology helps us find out about past cultures.
Cash Crop
A crop grown to be sold. Tobacco was the main cash crop in Maryland in the 1600s.
Cordage
Any material used like rope, string, or thread.
Daub
A mixture of ground up oyster shells, clay, and water that was used like plaster to fill in the open spaces between the pieces of twigs and branches, or wattle, in a structure. These structures are said to be made of wattle and daub.
Fallow
A word used to describe land that is left unplanted during the growing season in order to allow the soil to rest and become more productive for planting at a later time.
Forage
A word that describes what livestock do when they roam on their own searching for food, rather than being penned in and fed by their owners.
Girdle
A word used to describe the process of removing a ring of bark from around a tree, causing it to die.
Hamlet
A small village.
Hogshead
A barrel-shaped container used to transport tobacco to market. The origin of this word is unknown.
Indentured Servant
A person who agreed to work for a certain amount of time in exchange for passage to the New World. In Maryland, indentures usually lasted about four years.
Midden
The area where trash and garbage was thrown in the 1600s. Trash was often thrown just outside a kitchen door or window. Archaeologists sometimes study trash or “midden” piles that survive for long periods of time.
Militia
An informal military unit to which every freeman over the age of 16 was required to belong. The militia met regularly to practice.
2012-2013 School Year Public Programs Department
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Musket
A kind of gun used in the 1600s.
Ordinary
A term used in the 1600s to refer to a public inn and tavern where anyone could receive lodging and a meal for a price set by the government.
Pillory
A structure used for public punishment. This structure restrained a convicted person’s hands and head, sometimes for long periods of time. Also common were stocks, which restrained one’s feet.
Primary Source
A historical document or artifact that tells us something about life in the past.
Proprietor
The owner of a property. Because Lord Baltimore owned the colony of Maryland, he was considered the proprietor of Maryland.
Reconstruct
To re-create a structure or object. Historic St. Mary’s City has several reconstructed buildings that are made to look like the buildings that once stood there in the 1600s, like Smith’s Ordinary and the Print House.
Sapling
A young tree that can be easily bent.
Seedlings
Small plants which are grown from seeds in one location (a seed bed), then moved to a permanent location in a garden or a field.
Tenant
A person who rents space or land from a landowner. This land was often used to plant a cash crop.
Tick
A mattress used in the 1600s for sleeping. Most people did not have bed frames, but instead placed a tick directly on the floor. Colonists often made ticks from linen and stuffed them with cornhusks.
Wattle
Thin branches or twigs that are woven together to form a fence or a wall. In a wattled wall, the woven branches are covered with daub, a plaster-like substance.
2012-2013 School Year Public Programs Department
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