Terminus post quem/terminus ante quem
Two Latin terms used by archaeologists to describe the relationships of objects to layers and each other that they find in the ground. The dictionary definition of terminus post quem is the 'starting-point of a period'; that of terminus ante quem is the 'finishing-point of a period'. They are very important concepts, fundamental to the understanding of the development of a site and to the working-out of its likely date.

In archaeological usage, a datable object such as a coin found in a layer can only give the date after which the layer in which it is found was formed, and this could be any time after this date if there is nothing to indicate otherwise. This circumstance would be designated terminus post quem.

However, if a layer is cut by a ditch or other feature, then the layer must be earlier. The layer will thus have a date earlier than any datable objects in the layers or features above. This circumstance would be designated terminus ante quem.

Tile
Fired clay to produce tiles for roofing, drains and heating systems originated in the Roman period and continued over later centuries. Great quantities of tiles are still found during fieldwork, indicating former buildings (roofs) or dumps of tiles for hardcore. Some tiles in the Middle Ages were decorated with slip and glazed and made into floors.

Treasure Act
All finders of gold and silver objects, and groups of coins from the same location, which are over 300 years old, have a legal obligation to report such items under the Treasure Act 1996. Prehistoric base-metal assemblages found after 1 January 2003 also qualify as treasure' and must be reported. See also Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Treasure trove
All gold and silver found in Britain, which was originally hidden and where the owner cannot now be found, belongs to the Crown and, when discovered, is subject to an inquest at a coroner's court to establish the circumstances of its loss or deposition. Archaeologists are frequently involved in giving evidence to such inquests. Finders are often allowed to keep the objects, or an institution such as the British Museum pays so that the objects can be added to a national collection.

Trial trench
See sections. Often a trial trench is dug to get some idea of the stratigraphy on a site, or even just to see if there is any archaeology present. Such trenches can be dug by hand using shovels, but frequently a machine is brought in to dig a quick trench, which can then be cleaned up and excavated by hand before recording takes place.

Tudors
The date when Henry Tudor (who became Henry VII) defeated and killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth is generally taken as a convenient end marker for the 'Middle Ages' or Medieval period, although Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries 40 years later may be a more meaningful one. At any rate, England under the Tudors (whose dynasty ended with the childless Elizabeth I in 1603) underwent immense changes, eventually emerging as a nation united with its old enemy Scotland and about to begin on its development of a world empire.

The era was marked by increasing population, trade and wealth (at least among the upper classes), shown most exceptionally in the opulent 'prodigy houses' of Elizabethan England. Both Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth developed powerful navies, which were to provide the basis for future overseas colonies and British domination of the seas. See the Channel 4 history website on Tudor England

Tunnels and passages
One of the most frequently recounted local tales is of a secret tunnel that is supposed to link monasteries, nunneries, churches and so on, intended for the escape of people from events such as the dissolution of the monasteries and the Civil War. They are often said to run over the most amazing distances and under the most unlikely rivers, mountains and estuaries. If so, they would have taken decades to build and would have involved massive investment.

In fact, there are many tunnels and passages about, but when examined they are usually quite short and are invariably drains or sewers conveying water to large manor houses or monasteries. They are sometimes big enough to walk through, so that they could be cleaned out frequently.

Typology
The study of the obvious similarities between objects, such as Bronze-Age swords or pottery vessels. Changes in design appear gradually so that objects can be arranged in a sequence of development. Before the advent of absolute methods of dating, such as radio-carbon dating and dendrochronology, such developmental sequences were used to get some relative idea of the different dates between sites and the objects from them. There are obvious flaws to this approach, but noting the typological changes in objects is still a useful way of studying developing technology and styles. Modern parallels such as the development of the motor car or coach, or even milk bottles, show this well.