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Harris Matrices and the Stratigraphic Record

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Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Archaeological stratigraphy; Harris matrix; Stratigraphic excavation; Stratigraphic sequences

Definitions

Archaeological stratigraphy is the discipline that encompasses the study of all aspects of stratification on archaeological sites, including both human and geological formations. It is concerned with (1) the landscape components of stratification, i.e., surfaces embedded within the site, and with the contents of deposits, including artifacts and other contained remains, and (2) the sequential and chronological relationships between stratigraphic units. Stratigraphic studies lay the foundation for all later analyses of the surfaces and portable remains of archaeological sites; they are fundamental to any archaeological research involving excavation, which necessarily destroys stratigraphic evidence (but translates it into a stratigraphic archive) and removes samples of the remains found in deposits for analysis and preservation.

Stratigraphic excavationis the examination...

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Bibliography

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Museum of Bermuda, 1 The Keep, Sandys Parish, 133, Sandys, Bermuda

    Edward Cecil Harris

Authors
  1. Edward Cecil Harris
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edward Cecil Harris .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA

    Allan S. Gilbert

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© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Harris, E.C. (2017). Harris Matrices and the Stratigraphic Record. In: Gilbert, A.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4409-0_7

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