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Micromorphological interpretation of a “turf‐filled” funerary shaft at St. Albans, United Kingdom
Author(s) -
Macphail Richard I.,
Cruise G. M.,
Mellalieu S. J.,
Niblett R.,
Bond S.,
Dormor I.,
Reeves K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1520-6548(199808)13:6<617::aid-gea5>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - soil water , pasture , archaeology , geology , environmental science , geography , soil science , forestry
Seven thin sections and polished impregnated soil blocks from a (c. A.D. 55) “turf‐filled” funerary shaft were analyzed employing soil micromorphology, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDXRA), microprobe analysis, and diatom investigations. As expected, soils from the local area had been exploited. In addition, it seems likely that the “turf” material included cattle dung, trampled soils, and enigmatic pondlike sediments. These findings, gained through exploiting the full potential of soil micromorphology and which are in full accord with other environmental data from the site, suggest that both natural local soils and soils associated with pasture and animal enclosures/husbandry were employed in the construction. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.