Tutorial:Post-Burial Processes

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Processes of Post-burial modification
Archaeological sites are never perfectly preserved. A site with good preservation is really one in which the processes of decay have been slowed or one in which the those materials that are most often perceptible to decay, such as organic materials, have been preserved.

Post-burial modifications are a significant aspect of the site formation process. Hence, reconstructing the burial environment and its implications for the survival of artefacts and stratigraphies is an important part of archaeological interpretation.

Post-burial modification includes aspects of post-depositional soil formation, and other geomorphic and sedimentary processes, as well as a suite of processes specific to the burial environment. Each of these can lead to substantial modification of archaeological deposits and result in the loss of information.

Choose from the list below to find out more about post-burial modification of archaeological artefact, structures and deposits.


 * Burial as a process of preservation
 * The burial environment
 * Processes of change in the burial environment
 * The effects of post-burial modification

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