E principle of original horizontality12/29/2023 Harris notes two principles that were widely recognised by archaeologists by the 1970s: They are derived from the principles of stratigraphy in geology but have been adapted to reflect the different nature of archaeological deposits. It is more useful to think of "higher" as it relates to the context's position in a Harris matrix, a two-dimensional representation of a site's formation in space and time.Īrchaeological stratigraphy is based on a series of axiomatic principles or "laws". A relationship that is later in the sequence is sometimes referred to as "higher" in the sequence, and a relationship that is earlier, "lower", though this does not refer necessarily to the physical location of the context. The temporal relationship of "the fill" context to the ditch "cut" context is such that "the fill" occurred later in the sequence you have to dig a ditch before you can back-fill it. One example would be a ditch and the back-fill of said ditch. Stratigraphic relationships are the relationships created between contexts in time, representing the chronological order in which they were created. An example would be a ditch "cut" through earlier deposits. Cuts represent actions that remove other solid contexts such as fills, deposits, and walls. They can be deposits (such as the back-fill of a ditch), structures (such as walls), or "zero thickness surfaciques", better known as " cuts". Archaeological stratification or sequence is the dynamic superimposition of single units of stratigraphy, or contexts.Ĭontexts are single events or actions that leave discrete, detectable traces in the archaeological sequence or stratigraphy. It is the archaeologist's role to attempt to discover what contexts exist and how they came to be created. When archaeological finds are below the surface of the ground (as is most commonly the case), the identification of the context of each find is vital in enabling the archaeologist to draw conclusions about the site and about the nature and date of its occupation. The concept derives from the geological use of the idea that sedimentation takes place according to uniform principles. Modern excavation techniques are based on stratigraphic principles. Stratigraphy is a key concept to modern archaeological theory and practice. Neat stratification in Athens (Ceramicus Cemetery). JSTOR ( December 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īrchaeological stratigraphy at the Iron Age site of Goosehill Camp on Bow Hill, West Sussex in Southern England.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Stratigraphy" archaeology – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
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