Investigating how a settlement mound ("tell")
forms physically
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Micromorphology and intensive excavation, observation
and recording of the tell's stratigraphy helps
to document the physical conditions that lead to the formation
of a settlement mound. |
These are some of these conditions that we are investigating:
o the addition, deposition and accumulation of building
materials (especially clays) to the original soil matrix.
o the processes of destruction and weathering of abandoned
buildings
o the erosion of the tell surface during periods of abandonment
including the period since the final abandonment (Building
3 lies at the modern surface)
o the accumulation of humus in non-built-up areas
o the deposition and accumulation of garbage in and outside
pits, including human and animal waste
o the addition of "natural" deposits to the mound,
such as water-laden deposits (through flooding) and wind-laden
deposits.
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