Glossary

Below is a list of words you might come across while exploring Lullingstone Roman Villa and the Darent Valley. Use this Glossary to find out what they mean.

• Definitions

  amphora(e) – a tall ancient Greek or Roman jar or jug with two long handles and a narrow neck for pouring. Amphorae were brought to Britain as a storage method (like plastic crates carrying food today). They usually carried wine or oil.

  archaeologist – a person who excavates (carefully digs) places and then studies artefacts ad remains to work out what they can tell us about the time they are from

  archaeology - the discovery of history through excavation (careful digging) and study of artefacts and other remains

  artefact(s) – an object made by a person that can be used as evidence of a time in history

  bath suite - a collection of rooms dedicated to bathing. There were public baths but wealthy Romans could afford bathing facilities in their own homes, as at Lullingstone.

  Bellerophon – the son of Poseidon (God of the Sea) and a mortal hero in Greek mythology. When he was young, he honoured the gods and won their favour, but eventually his pride led to his downfall.

  chalk – a white, soft, earthy limestone (calcium carbonate) which makes up most of the ground in the Darent Valley

  Chimera – in Greek mythology, a fire-breathing she-monster of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of more than one animal

  Chi-Rho - an early Christian symbol formed by the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek, chi (χ) and rho (ρ).

  Christian – a person who is baptised or/and is a believer in Christianity, the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ

  classical – used to describe ancient Greek or Roman literature, art or culture

  cremation – the act of burning a body with flames after death to reduce it to small pieces of bone

  estate(s) – an area of land or property

  Europa – a beautiful maiden of high lineage in Greek mythology, most notable for her love affair with Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods. He notices her beauty and disguises himself as a white bull. Once she has climbed on the bull’s back, he charges away and kidnaps her.

  excavation – removing earth carefully to find archaeological remains

  farmstead – the name given to a farm, which includes all of its buildings and surrounding land

  frieze - a decorated band of plaster used along a wall

  geophysical surveys – physical sensing techniques used to create images or maps of archaeological sites underground

  governor – an official appointed to govern a town or region

  granary - a storehouse for grain

  hearth - the floor of a fireplace      

  House-church – applied to Christian worship, a room in a private home used for prayer and worship

  industry – the activity around processing raw (natural) materials and making products

  Latin – the language used in the Roman Empire

  livestock – animals that are kept on a farm such as cows, pigs, sheep and chickens

  maker's mark – the personal mark of a craftsman. These can be carved, stamped, or painted onto an object to distinguish which craftsman was involved in its creation.

  marble bust – a representation of the upper part of the human figure, carved into marble to create the likeness of an often important individual

  mausoleum - a free-standing building, a form of tomb, which enclosed the burial chamber of a deceased person or people

  Pegasus – a flying horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as white in colour. His father was Poseidon (God of the Sea) and his mother was Medusa.

  pottery – pots, dishes, and other items made of clay that is fired (heated at a very hot temperature) to make it hard

  Roman – relating to ancient Rome, the Roman Empire, or its people

  Roman Empire – the countries that were ruled by the Roman emperor

  Roman mythology – a collection of stories, beliefs and rituals that the Romans used to understand and describe the origin of Roman civilisation, culture, history and religion. Heavily inspired by Greek mythology.

  sacred – having some special religious importance, often dedicated to a god or gods

  settlement – a place where people arrive and build a community

  temple – a building devoted to the worship of god or gods

  trade – buying and selling goods or jobs

  trench(es) - a long, narrow ditch

  villa – originally a Latin term which meant ‘farm’. The term ‘villa’ can refer more widely to any Roman house.