How do archeologists know they hit a building while digging and not just another rock?
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Stone used to make buildings will have evidence of human manipulation like tool markings on it.
Rocks get located where they are for a reason.
If you are looking at an ancient river bed, then all the rocks will be rounded from the erosion action of the water. If you have some square blocks in a rock that doesn’t naturally fracture into square blocks, then chances are they were created.
If you get rocks in a layer of soil that shouldn’t have any rocks. Like a 10 meter band of clay from the bottom of an ancient lake, then again, there’s a good chance it was placed there.
If you find other signs that humans were there, like broken bits of pottery, some beads, or charred bones, then again, chances are it’s a wall and not just another rock.
Archaeologists use techniques such as geophysical surveys, stratigraphy, artifact patterns, and changes in soil characteristics to differentiate between natural rocks and man-made structures during excavation. These methods help identify distinctive features associated with human activity and confirm the presence of a building or other archaeological remains.
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