Natural (archaeology)

In the context of archaeology, "natural" refers to the undisturbed, geological or environmental matrix within which archaeological materials are found. It represents the soil, sediment, or geological formation existing prior to and unaffected by human activity. Identifying the "natural" is crucial in archaeological excavations because it provides a baseline against which to understand the changes and disturbances caused by human occupation and activities.

Understanding the natural layers or strata allows archaeologists to:

• Establish a baseline: Differentiating natural soil layers from those altered by humans (anthropogenic layers) is a primary step in stratigraphic analysis.
• Distinguish cultural deposits: Identifying the natural helps distinguish features, artifacts, and other materials that are demonstrably of human origin.
• Interpret site formation processes: Analyzing the natural deposits alongside cultural deposits helps to understand how the site was formed over time, including natural events such as erosion, flooding, or landslides that may have affected the site's preservation and stratigraphy.
• Reconstruct the environment: The natural soil or sediment can provide information about the past environment in which the site existed, including climate, vegetation, and fauna. Analysis of pollen, sediments, and other environmental proxies within the natural layers can aid in this reconstruction.
• Determine site integrity: Assessing the degree to which the natural layers remain undisturbed helps determine the overall integrity of the archaeological site. Heavily disturbed natural layers may indicate significant post-depositional processes affecting the original context of archaeological finds.
• Control levels: Excavating to the "natural" can serve as a logical endpoint or control level for an excavation unit, particularly in situations where distinct stratigraphic layers are difficult to discern.