Natural
Definition
The undisturbed geological or pedogenic deposit that predates any human activity at the site. Identifying where 'natural' begins is how excavators establish the baseline against which intrusive features stand out.
- Field
- Archaeological excavation, stratigraphy
- Definition role
- Baseline layer predating human activity
- Recording use
- Reference point for intrusive features
Common questions
Why is reaching 'natural' significant during excavation?+
Once an excavator reaches natural, they know they have exhausted the archaeologically or forensically meaningful sequence at that point, since anything below it predates any activity of interest, which helps decide when to stop digging a given area.
How is natural distinguished from a genuine feature cut into it, such as a grave?+
Natural typically shows a uniform, undisturbed texture and colour consistent with the local geology, while an intrusive feature such as a grave cut shows a visible edge or interface, a fill of different colour or composition, and disturbance to the surrounding natural deposit.
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...
- Fill
- Material that entered a cut after it was made, whether backfilled deliberately, slumped from the sides, or accumulated naturally. A grave typically...
- 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...
- Phasing
- The grouping of contexts into episodes of activity based on the Harris Matrix sequence. A grave may have a single phase (dug...