Re: Archaeological Discovery In Kakadu
Reply #14 –
How do they differentiate on digs if stuff might have been buried deeper by actions unknown to the investigators?
I understand deep digs, but shallow digs like this?
Would sediment moved by flood be optically reset?
Missed your question LP.
That's a science in itself and it's called taphonomy. One thing that good archaeologists will do is look for conjoins, that is, two or more chips from stone tool manufacture that fit back together. Conjoins lying close together indicate not much post-depositional movement. If they are separated by considerable depth then the deposits are likely to have been disturbed.
All archaeological deposits are disturbed by subsequent human activity, burrowing animals, roots, erosion and many other factors. Understanding that disturbance is the key to good archaeology.
Sand grains are optically reset by exposure to sunlight. If flood waters scoured part of the site away 5,000 years ago, the exposed sand grains would be reset at 5,000 years. Any archaeologist worth her salt would recognise that disturbance.