Burn deposit stratigraphy
Definition
The layered sequence of ash, charcoal, collapsed structural elements, and debris produced by a fire, recording the temporal order of combustion events and structural failure.
Related terms
- Calcined bone
- Bone heated to above approximately 700°C, resulting in complete combustion of the organic component (collagen), leaving only mineral hydroxyapatite; characterised by white...
- Peri-mortem burning
- Burning that occurred at or very close to the time of death, while green (fresh) bone still contains its organic matrix. Distinguished...
- Pugilistic posture
- The post-mortem flexion of the limbs and clenching of the hands caused by heat-induced differential contraction of flexor muscles. It indicates exposure...
- Seat of the fire
- The point of ignition or the area of maximum burn intensity, identified by fire investigators from char patterns, spalling, and burning vectors....
- Wet sieving
- The process of washing material through a mesh with water to separate and recover small fragments. Preferred for fire debris that has...
Explained in
- Fire-Scene ArchaeologyThe layered sequence of ash, charcoal, collapsed structural elements, and debris produced by a fire, recording the temporal order of combustion events and stru...