Just started learning to spot different soil layers on digs

I joined a volunteer dig last month and picked up how to tell apart soil layers. It's cool to see how they show the site's history, but I often mix up the finer details. Any advice for a newbie on reading these layers right?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviam102d ago

During my anthro 101 field trip, the professor pointed out a layer of pure ASH from some old fire. I spent the whole afternoon trying to sketch it and my notes looked like a toddler drew them.

noahmartin2d ago

Hey just fyi ash layers are hardly ever pure, they usually have other stuff mixed in. Your professor probably meant it was mostly just ash.

ivant5123h ago

Wonder if the pure ash layer you saw was right after it settled but before weather mixed it up. Even a small rain can wash fine stuff into the ash or blow other dust on top over time. Maybe your prof found a spot that was sealed off really fast, like under a fallen roof. What was the site's dirt like around that layer?