Archaeological excavation

Archaeological excavation systematically uncovers, records, and recovers remains by removing soil and other deposits in a controlled way. Because excavation changes a site irreversibly, its records preserve evidence that removal destroys.

Stratigraphy (archaeology): The study of layered deposits and their relationships at archaeological sites. Layers establish the sequence of deposits that excavation exposes and must record.
Law of superposition: The principle that, in an undisturbed sequence, lower sedimentary layers are older than layers above them. It provides a basic relative-dating rule for undisturbed archaeological deposits.
Rescue archaeology: Archaeological work conducted to document or recover remains threatened by development or other disturbance. Urgent excavation records sites that construction or other changes would otherwise destroy.
Archaeological remote sensing: The use of instruments to detect or map archaeological features without excavating them. Remote sensing can reveal buried patterns while leaving deposits largely undisturbed.
Harris matrix: A diagram showing the chronological relationships among archaeological contexts. It turns recorded layer relationships into a relative sequence of site events.
Taphonomy: The study of what happens to organisms and their remains from death to discovery. It helps distinguish human activity from natural processes that altered deposits and remains.
Underwater archaeology: The study of human activity through archaeological remains submerged underwater. Submerged sites require excavation techniques adapted to water, visibility, and sediment movement.
Fieldwalking: A survey method in which observers systematically inspect the ground surface for archaeological materials. It finds surface evidence without the destructive removal of buried deposits.
Archaeological context: A distinct deposit, feature, or other unit of archaeological evidence at a site. Context records where an object was found and how it relates to surrounding evidence.
Typology (archaeology): The classification of archaeological objects by shared characteristics and forms. Comparing artifact types can help date deposits and identify patterns of activity.

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