Why are so many archeological discoveries found buried under ground? I just read a post about obstacles with expanding the subways in Rome due to finding ruins, and I understand finds buried like Pompeii. How do these sites get covered over so deeply?
In: Earth Science
> **Why are so many archeological discoveries found buried under ground?**
That is because if the was not underground the would have been discovered in the past in areas where there is a lot of people. Most old stuff that was in the open and easy to move would have been taken by someone else in the past.
So archeological discoveries has to be underground in populated areas. Only in areas with very few humans can you find stuff on the ground. The object might have been underground in the past but getting exposed by some natural process like a landslide, digging is not a requirement.
Stuff that is underground is also more protected as you do not get wind and water erosion. There is less oxygen so stuff to no get decomposes the same way exactly in clay or peat.
They are also protected from unintentional destruction from humans and animals.
Some is buried from falling dust, river sediment, landslides, or people. Settlements get built on to of other settlements all the time. In the middle east the ancient cities in good spots were built over again and again until they would become a large hill called a Tell or Tel. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tell_(archaeology)
If an area sediments at the rate of 1/8th of an inch per year (from dust and wind blown sand, soil, fallen leaves forming mulch, etc.), after a century, it’s buried under a foot of new soil. After a thousand years, it’s 10 feet deep. Rome was founded more than 2.5 centuries ago and there were settlements in the area that predated the founding of Rome itself. And some parts of the world will sediment at far higher rates, at least from time to time.
You ever see rhe layer of dust on something in your house after a month? A solid layer, maybe so thick it obscures the surface.
The founding of Rome was more than 33,000 months ago. And the outdoors are far dustier than some room you don’t spent much time in.
Latest Answers