ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the practical application of a geoarchaeological approach to site formation, employing techniques of soil and sediment analysis. The objective systematic field description of deposits is an essential preliminary to all soil and sediment studies. The local conditions may be best assessed by examination of off-site sedimentary sequences and soil profiles. Having defined the criteria for comparison, the choice of analytical techniques will depend upon the area of investigation chosen, the nature of the soils and sediments and the complexity of the stratigraphy. The vertical distribution of phosphate in the preconstruction soil was then estimated, using the values obtained from the two adjacent off-site pits, within the same soil unit. In the course of excavation of recently abandoned settlements in Scotland each deposit encountered was described using the Soil Survey for England and Wales system. In the study of site formation, the investigation of soils and sediments must play a central role.
