Fill
Definition
Material that entered a cut after it was made, whether backfilled deliberately, slumped from the sides, or accumulated naturally. A grave typically has a primary fill (the body and immediately surrounding earth) and a backfill above.
- Definition
- Material entering a cut after it was made
- Origin types
- Deliberate backfill, slumped material, natural accumulation
- Grave structure
- Primary fill plus a backfill layer above
Common questions
Why does distinguishing primary fill from backfill matter in a grave excavation?+
The primary fill sits in direct contact with the body and can hold trace evidence and undisturbed context from the burial event, while the backfill above may include later-added material or show separate disturbance, so conflating the two layers risks misreading the sequence of events.
What can the composition of fill tell an excavator about how a grave was made?+
Distinct layering, foreign material, or compaction differences within the fill can indicate whether it was deliberately backfilled in stages, slumped in naturally over time, or disturbed and reopened after the original burial.
Related terms
- Context
- The smallest unit of stratigraphic record: a single deposit (fill, layer), a single feature (cut, pit), or a standing structure. Each context...
- Cut
- The void created by removing earth, for example a grave shaft, a post-hole, or a ditch. A cut is always older than...
- Harris Matrix
- A two-dimensional directed graph in which each box is a single context and connecting lines represent stratigraphic relationships. Vertical position encodes temporal...
- Natural
- The undisturbed geological or pedogenic deposit that predates any human activity at the site. Identifying where 'natural' begins is how excavators establish...
- Phasing
- The grouping of contexts into episodes of activity based on the Harris Matrix sequence. A grave may have a single phase (dug...