Paleoenvironmental and Geosciences Department

Buried-site Modeling

Buried-site modeling makes it possible to monitor high-sensitivity areas during construction by considering where sites may be buried in advance, and, in some cases, ground-disturbing activities can be avoided altogether to prevent damage to possible buried sites. Buried-site modeling is also an important component in preparing, refining, and validating predictive models of archaeological site locations. Geological maps that differentiate Holocene, Pleistocene, and pre-Quaternary units are especially useful in developing a preliminary buried-site sensitivity model. Similarly, high-resolution soil maps (that is, ones at a scale of at least 1:24,000) are also very useful, because the degree of soil development associated with different soil map units can be used to identify and differentiate the approximate ages of different surfaces.

The preliminary buried-site sensitivity model is refined by conducting subsurface tests at a variety of places in the field. Special attention is paid to searching for paleosols that might mark the buried surfaces of ancient landscapes that may have been used by human populations in the past. Subsurface testing is conducted within the area of potential effects (APE) on a variety of landforms and slope positions ranging from ridge summits, shoulder slopes, and backslopes to footslopes and toeslopes. A variety of methods may be employed to test for buried sites, including hand excavations, coring/auguring, mechanical trenching, and inspection of road cuts and cut banks. Where possible, the surfaces of these exposures are troweled, photographed with a digital camera, and described using standard descriptions. Scaled profile drawings are also made. When possible, radiocarbon samples are collected to aid in determining the ages of sediment-landform assemblages likely to be associated with buried sites. If needed, sediments lacking carbonized material for radiocarbon dating are collected for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analysis. Upon completion of fieldwork and laboratory analysis, (e.g., particle size, organic carbon, and pH) a written report is completed. This report presents the final model of buried-site potential for the project area, along with supporting documentation. A map delineating buried-site sensitivity is included in the final report. Final reports also include recommendations such as locations where archaeological monitoring is warranted within the APE.

< Back | Paleoenvironmental and Geosciences Home | Next >