Time and again, at international gatherings of archaeologists, the language barrier topples at the touch of a pencil on the back of an envelope. There is already a universal visual language, because archaeological evidences exist in the same visual terms the world over. Translate such data into words, and not only are they removed one step further from reality but also their meaning is put internationally at risk. They have to be translated yet again, from one verbal language to another, by intermediaries whose knowledge and skill may be imperfect.