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?
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Hey Dotson, Have you seen Detroit? See nobody cares.
Hey Dotson, Have you seen Detroit? See nobody cares.
I have a related story that helps explain this.
My region experienced significant flooding and mudslides in 1996. I was at the local pub a couple years ago, and I struck up a conversation with a couple who had recently moved to the area. They excitedly described an “old, abandoned cellar” that they had found at the base of the hill behind their new modular home, and told me of their plans to dig out the accumulated mud and debris in the bottom of the old cellar so they could build a small barn for their goats, while using the cellar as a root cellar, since it was almost entirely underground. I was able to inform them that their newly-discovered “cellar” was actually the main floor of the old stone house that had originally occupied their property and was engulfed by a mudslide some 20 years ago, and that they would discover the original basement if they dug down far enough. I’m glad I was able to explain the actual situation to them, because when they started digging the mud out, the original wood floor collapsed into the underlying basement. Since they were aware of the danger, they avoided injury by not allowing anyone to enter the excavation while digging the accumulated mud and debris out with a small excavator.
Unfortunately, they never did anything with the structure because it was so deeply buried that it always had several feet of standing water in it after being excavated. They ended up filling it with several dump truck loads of rubble to avoid the danger of having an open pit 16′ deep in their pasture.
I have a related story that helps explain this.
My region experienced significant flooding and mudslides in 1996. I was at the local pub a couple years ago, and I struck up a conversation with a couple who had recently moved to the area. They excitedly described an “old, abandoned cellar” that they had found at the base of the hill behind their new modular home, and told me of their plans to dig out the accumulated mud and debris in the bottom of the old cellar so they could build a small barn for their goats, while using the cellar as a root cellar, since it was almost entirely underground. I was able to inform them that their newly-discovered “cellar” was actually the main floor of the old stone house that had originally occupied their property and was engulfed by a mudslide some 20 years ago, and that they would discover the original basement if they dug down far enough. I’m glad I was able to explain the actual situation to them, because when they started digging the mud out, the original wood floor collapsed into the underlying basement. Since they were aware of the danger, they avoided injury by not allowing anyone to enter the excavation while digging the accumulated mud and debris out with a small excavator.
Unfortunately, they never did anything with the structure because it was so deeply buried that it always had several feet of standing water in it after being excavated. They ended up filling it with several dump truck loads of rubble to avoid the danger of having an open pit 16′ deep in their pasture.
War, large earth events (volcano, hurricane, etc) can kill a city and all of its inhabitants. So who there to keep it looking nice?
Way back they would salt the land to make sure nothing could ever grow there to ensure people leave
War, large earth events (volcano, hurricane, etc) can kill a city and all of its inhabitants. So who there to keep it looking nice?
Way back they would salt the land to make sure nothing could ever grow there to ensure people leave
The city of Troy is a fairly good example due to its fame. Iirc they built the new city on top of the old city each time it was destroyed, the Troy from the Greek stories was the 7th? city built at the same location. It’s easier than clearing the area first, just fill it up and build on top. We do something similar with landfills today.
https://www.livius.org/articles/place/troy/
Nine periods of Troy in the settlement-hill of Hisarlık [1200 × 795]
byu/_Ilker inMapPorn
The city of Troy is a fairly good example due to its fame. Iirc they built the new city on top of the old city each time it was destroyed, the Troy from the Greek stories was the 7th? city built at the same location. It’s easier than clearing the area first, just fill it up and build on top. We do something similar with landfills today.
https://www.livius.org/articles/place/troy/
Nine periods of Troy in the settlement-hill of Hisarlık [1200 × 795]
byu/_Ilker inMapPorn
There’s entire abandoned country towns in Spain and Italy and basically everywhere. I’m sure the Midwest of the USA is also littered with them. If there’s no traffic going through, nature will just…. Overtake it. Give it time.
There’s entire abandoned country towns in Spain and Italy and basically everywhere. I’m sure the Midwest of the USA is also littered with them. If there’s no traffic going through, nature will just…. Overtake it. Give it time.
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