Geoarchaeology:Sediments

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Sediments in Geoarchaeology
All materials, whether organic or inorganic, that have been transported onto or around the ‘site’ can be classed as sediments. This includes those transported and deposited by natural processes as well as anthropogenically transported material. In this way the vast majority of deposits in any accumulating archaeological site are sediments. Some of these sediments may be derived from soil materials, but soils themselves can only form when an exposed sediment surface is exposed for a prolonged period of time. More information about the different processes of deposition and accumulation can be found here.

The scientific study of sediments (sedimentology) when applied to archaeological deposits can help in the interpretation of site formation processes. Sedimentology may help to:
 * Differentiate between natural and man-made deposits.
 * Identify the area(s) of origin of a deposit,
 * Provide information on how far sediments have travelled, how they were moved and the conditions in which they were deposited.
 * Provide an understanding of changing environmental conditions and landscape evolution.
 * Differentiate between properties that result from depositional and post-depositional processes.

Examples of the study of sediments in geoarchaeology include:
 * Stratigraphic sections on the East African coast
 * Stratigraphic analysis in Belgian gullies

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