Eli5 – Why are we finding entire homes and streets in archaeological digs? doesn’t anyone notice a street or building starting to get covered in dirt and dust? at some point someone must notice the old plato theatre is knee high into the earth?

Question

Eli5 – Why are we finding entire homes and streets in archaeological digs? doesn’t anyone notice a street or building starting to get covered in dirt and dust? at some point someone must notice the old plato theatre is knee high into the earth?

In: 2940

Answer 1

You generally don’t find a fully buried house or structure. You’ll typically find something like the floor and maybe 6-12 inches of a wall.

Drive down country roads and look at all the barns/abandoned houses/sheds that are collapsing and imagine that only the bottom 1-5% needs to be buried in dust and dirt to be preserved.