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Introductory Sedimentology for Archaeology [Foundational Skills]
A significant portion of any archaeological site is often in the dirt, aka “sediments.” Even until the mid-to-late 20th century, sediments were simply discarded and ignored at many excavations. Sediment analysis, or sedimentology, is largely the province of geoarchaeology. In many European geoarchaeological programs it is the central focus. In U.S. and Canadian geoarchaeological programs sediments are important but not the only focus – stable isotopes, eDNA, etc. – are key elements of study as well the petrographic characterization of lithic materials. This seminar will focus exclusively on the “dirt” and how best to use it for archaeological ends. Color, texture, parent material, micro-and- macro inclusions will be discussed as well as important instrumental methods that assist in our understanding of sediments.