Tutorial:Deposition
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[edit] Processes of deposition and accumulation
Accumulation (sedimentary) processes are responsible for the build-up of archaeological deposits. They may also be responsible for the burial and hence the preservation of archaeological deposits and artefacts, and natural sedimentary deposits may form the ‘parent material’ for redeposited anthropogenic material.
The method of erosion and the conditions of accumulation can affect the sorting of particles, the weathering of individual particles and the formation of sedimentary structures. These properties can aid interpretation of the mode and environment of accumulation. Hence recording and interpreting sedimentary properties is a vital part of archaeological interpretation.
Modes of deposition include:
- River deposits
- Sheetflow deposition
- Lake deposition
- Coastal sediments
- Wind deposition
- Mass movement deposits
- Glacial deposition
- Volcanic deposits
- Cave deposits
- Anthropogenic deposits
