The hidden archive of historical human inhumations locked within burial soils
The study of soils within an archaeological context is often limited to the examination of landscapes and the environmental impact anthropogenic interactions have on their formation. Similarly, archaeological research into human inhumations has mainly focused on the rituals surrounding death, whilst determining socio-cultural practices and perceptions. The majority of research into the interactions of human interment and its effects on the surrounding soil has been limited to macromorphological investigation and elemental analysis. Historic human burials and their degradation products have not, to date, been investigated with regards to their impact on soil pedogenic processes. This research explores the hypothesis: soils and sediments immediately associated with the decomposition of human interment serve as valuable and under-utilised archaeological record. Grave soils were analysed using micromorphological and associated techniques to aid in the understanding of pedogenic processes and elemental composition of the grave soils incorporating burial remains. The analysis provided a comprehensive inventory of information regarding the archaeological inhumations within the burial soil through the spatial analysis
Lang, Carol
The hidden archive of historical human inhumations locked within burial soils. The study of soils within an archaeological context is often limited to the examination of landscapes and the environmental impact anthropogenic interactions have on their formation. Similarly, archaeological research into human inhumations has mainly focused on the rituals surrounding death, whilst determining socio-cultural practices and perceptions. The majority of research into the interactions of human interment and its effects on the surrounding soil has been limited to macromorphological investigation and elemental analysis. Historic human burials and their degradation products have not, to date, been investigated with regards to their impact on soil pedogenic processes. This research explores the hypothesis: soils and sediments immediately associated with the decomposition of human interment serve as valuable and under-utilised archaeological record. Grave soils were analysed using micromorphological and associated techniques to aid in the understanding of pedogenic processes and elemental composition of the grave soils incorporating burial remains. The analysis provided a comprehensive inventory of information regarding the archaeological inhumations within the burial soil through the spatial analysis
hidden archive historical human inhumation lock within burial soil study soil within archaeological_context often limited examination landscape environmental_impact anthropogenic interaction formation similarly archaeological human inhumation mainly_focus ritual surround death whilst determine socio_cultural practice perception majority interaction human interment effect surround soil limit investigation elemental_analysis historic human_burial degradation product date investigated regard impact soil processes explore hypothesis soils sediment immediately associate decomposition human interment serve valuable under utilised archaeological_record grave soil analyse_use micromorphological associate technique aid processes elemental_composition grave soil incorporate burial remains analysis provide_comprehensive inventory information_regard archaeological inhumation within burial soil spatial_analysis