Clipping marks are variations in terrain caused by buried archaeological artifacts, revealing buried buildings, burial sites, and ritual artwork. They can be seen from an aircraft or elevated vantage point. Cropmarks and soil marks can be used to find ancient sites, and archaeologists excavate carefully to reveal the structure or buried site. Log marks can also reveal more recent sites.
Clipping marks, also called clipping marks, are variations in the terrain caused by buried archaeological artifacts. More classically, clipping marks reveal the presence of buried buildings, burial sites, and ritual artwork. They can easily be seen from an aircraft or from an elevated vantage point such as a hill, platform or building. The study of cropmarks is part of aerial archeology, a branch of archeology that focuses on observing sites seen from above.
The growth rate of plants depends on the conditions of the underlying soil. If the soil is loose, as might be the case in a filled grave, plants can grow more easily than if it’s hard. Buried stone buildings can cause plants to grow slowly by absorbing water, while filled ditches can cause plants to grow more rapidly by providing an ample supply of fertile soil and fresh water. When viewed from above, a buried archaeological site can manifest itself in the form of plants of different colors, plants with different growth rates, and fruits of different colors.
In a classic example of cropmarks, a farmer plants a field of barley and notices that a roughly circular patch develops where the grain grows more slowly. If an excavation is done, that patch could turn out to be a buried building or foundation. Conversely, a field may be bisected with crop lines growing very rapidly, suggesting the presence of buried pits or ditches.
In addition to crop marks, it is also possible for archaeologists to use soil marks, if they are looking at bare soil. Soil marks are patches of soil with a different color than the soil in the surrounding area, illuminating areas where holes have been filled. Ancient cemeteries, for example, have grave-shaped soil marks formed by the chemicals produced during decomposition and the use of various soils for backfill. Frost marks, differentiations in frost intensity in an area, can also be used as clipping marks to find ancient sites.
When clipping marks are found, archaeologists work carefully at the site to excavate it. They typically photograph the area from an aerial vantage point and create a grid so that they can control the excavation very precisely. As materials are excavated, they are sifted for smaller artifacts, and over time, the structure or buried site will be revealed, shedding further light on the lives of people who lived in ancient times. Log marks can also reveal more recent sites: In New England, for example, disturbances in the forest show signs of former colonial settlements. They can also point fingers at more sinister sites, such as mass graves.
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