Geoarchaeology:Landforms

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Landforms in Geoarchaeology
The landscape is shaped by a combination of natural and anthropogenic processes. By studying landforms (geomorphology) archaeologists can help to interpret the processes that formed them and better understand how the landscape has influenced the actions of the humans that inhabit it.

For example:
 * An understanding of the local geology may help distinguish between natural terracing or benching and anthropogenic terrace features. Whilst the study of terrace soils can help to determine whether they have developed as a result of natural or anthropogenically exacerbated slope processes, or whether the soils have been artificially deepened.
 * An understanding of the way in which different landforms have formed may inform predictions of soil conditions and likely artefact preservation. For example, kames are formed from deposits dropped by rivers and streams in glaciers and tend to consist of coarser-grained, free-draining deposits in which the preservation of organic materials is likely to be poor, whilst drumlins may look similar but tend to be formed of unsorted clay-rich deposits and the potential for better organic preservation.
 * Aspect, drainage, exposure, and access to fertile soils may all be part of the decision process in the siting and orientation of settlements.

Case study
Holocene Coastal Change in Northumberland.

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