The experimental earthwork project, 1960-1992

de Bell, Martin, P. J. Fowler, Simon Hillson, Andrews, Peter

"A pioneering archaeological experiment was set up in 1960 to investigate the way in which the archaeological record is formed and how buried materials change and decay. Two earthworks were built to precise specifications with a range of inorganic materials buried within them." "Two contrasting sites were chosen, the chalk downland at Overton Down, Wiltshire, and Wareham Heath, Dorset with its sandy acidic soil. The plan was to monitor change by excavating the earthworks at intervals of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 years." "This report reviews the first 32 years for the project. It includes details of the 8, 16 and 32 year excavations at Overton and the 16 year excavation at Wareham. The 32 year report from Overton included studies not foreseen when the earthwork experiment was designed. These include soil micromorphology and chemistry, and Scanning Electron Microscope studies of buried materials such as wood, textiles and bone. Environmental evidence from pollen, seeds and molluscs is discussed." "This project helps to bridge the gap between short-term contemporary observation and the much longer-term issues with which archaeologists are concerned. Results show that many of the changes which interest archaeologists occur within decades of burial, and the extent of post-burial changes can be much greater than generally thought. The project also gives successive generations od archaeologists the opportunity to review the use of experimental method in archaeology."--BOOK JACKET.