Tel Excavation: Uneven Stratigraphy

When excavating a Tel there are some common complications that diggers must be aware of. These next few posts will help familiarize new diggers with these problems and the terminology used to describe them.

Uneven Stratigraphy:

The first thing we need to realize is that, while a Tel may be described as a cake or onion with multiple layers, these layers are never constructed in nice, orderly, evenly separated, and clearly defined, lines.

 See, the two 'Tel' on either side here? The one on the left is a nice, evenly distributed Tel. The one on the right is a bit more true to life, (though still a bit 'neat') with the layers all sloped and walls from later periods cut into earlier periods. There is little ability to predict when the next layer will appear, or how deep a layer is until you dig all the way through it. Some layers may be a few inches thick in one area, and several feet thick in another area.


This is why it is paramount for a digger to keep a careful eye on what he/she is doing on a dig site. When soil begins to change (color, composition, compaction, etc) it could signal the start of a new layer. It is up to the digger to alert his area supervisor when he/she believes they have noticed such a change occurring. At times, the change can be so minute as some dark brown dirt slowly becoming more tan and less dark.

By keeping a keen eye on where you are digging and what you are seeing on a daily basis, an effective digger can help ensure that proper dating takes place for any artifacts found within that area.