Field Analysis:Why Landscape

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Landscape information
The landscape provides a context for an individual deposit or context. Isolated samples taken from an individual context, even when supplemented by good context descriptions and section drawings, can never replace this missing information. This is one reason why specialists like to make site visits.

Landscape topography and microtopography are best assessed in the field. Landscape detail can reveal information about the geological and geomorphological processes that have shaped a region, whilst microtopography can provide information on a metre by metre scale about patterns of erosion and accumulation. For example, the presence of lynchets on a hillside can be missed on smaller scale topographic maps.

Modern vegetation and land use can provide some indication of likely preservation and possible disturbance of remains over the last few decades. Root disturbance for example may be more of a problem on a forested site, than on a site under grassland.

Exposed sections, caused through erosion or man-made cuttings, can provide an invaluable first glimpse at the soils and sediments on or around a site. Long cross-contour sections can be particularly invaluable as these provide evidence of processes occurring along the slope (toposequence), providing a snapshot of the whole landscape and making interpretation of regional and site scale soil processes much easier.

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