The grave is effectively a sealed deposit in which the individual and any evidence pertaining to that individual is sealed. These are the features to which the forensic archaeology will need to be alert.Ī victim buried in a grave is therefore contained within a stratigraphic environment ( Figure 1). If a criminal then takes the opportunity to bury a victim in that location, then the ‘statement’ of what occurred and the ‘snapshot’ of the event in time are both altered. In other words, the section also provides a ‘snapshot’ of events at the time the hole was dug.
The same rules apply whether there are hundreds of layers, for example, as found in deep urban deposits, or just a few. Furthermore, given that the individual layers are superimposed, there is a relative chronology present in that it is possible to determine which layer is the earliest in the sequence, which is the latest, and what the chronological order is for the layers in between. Hence, if a hole has been dug in the ground the layers evident in section, suitably interpreted, can be used to provide a statement of what went on in that particular place over time. Archaeology is about identifying different layers of soil by virtue of their color, physical properties, or characteristics, and then interpreting what each individual layer means, thus developing a picture of what occurred in a given place over a period of time. The archaeologist's understanding of stratigraphy is the key to any involvement in criminal investigation. John Hunter, in Encyclopedia of Archaeology, 2008 Stratigraphy In reality, a majority of archaeological sites are affected by some type of postdepositional process and geoarchaeological studies are necessary to evaluate the impact of these processes on interpretations of past human behavior. However, well-preserved archaeological sites can be later threatened by postdepositional processes and landscape destruction. In essence, such an environment would seal an archaeological deposit into the stratigraphy, for example, many cave sites have this level of preservation. In an ideal situation, a site would be rapidly buried by sediments with little disturbance and be minimally affected by postdepositional processes. Some preserve cultural material better than others. There are many different formation processes which play a role in the preservation of the archaeological record. For example, the translocation of salts in calcic horizons can promote the preservation of shell and bone. Soils do provide some benefits for preserving the archaeological record.
Bioturbation is often more common in soils and can translocate artifacts to the surface. Eluvial horizons become more prone to erosion and the stratigraphic context can be destroyed for a site located in that soil horizon.
Downward translocation of carbonates promotes bone deterioration in leached horizons. Organic material such as plant, shell, and bone can deteriorate from leaching, oxidation, and biogenic degradation in soils. Such processes include the shrinking–swelling of clay, mineral oxidation–reduction, the accumulation and decay of organic matter, translocation or removal of salt, eluviation, iluviation, as well as bioturbation. Soil formation processes can have a direct influence on the preservation of archaeological material. However, soils can cause problems for the preservation of an archaeological site. In addition, their physical and chemical characteristics aid in reconstructing past climates. In addition, buried soils (i.e., buried paleosols) provide geoarchaeologists with valuable information about surface topography and past landscape conditions. Soils may take many years to form and therefore these surfaces would be exposed to potential human occupation during these periods of stability as with modern landscapes. Soils in stratigraphy are important to archaeology because they indicate a significant period of stability when a landscape surface was stable and not undergoing significant deposition or erosion. If the sedimentation rate is slow, archaeological materials from successive occupations could become mixed together since they would not be separated by depositional units. If the sedimentation rate is rapid, there will be a clear distinction between this occupation level and overlying units or subsequent occupations. If a site is located in an environment of active deposition, it is likely that the site will be buried and incorporated into the stratigraphic unit. Heidi Luchsinger, in Encyclopedia of Archaeology, 2008 Factors in Archaeological Site PreservationĪrchaeological sites may be occupied on surfaces with active deposition, erosional surfaces, or stable surfaces undergoing soil formation.
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