Breaking It Down: What Preserves Underground?

What does--and doesn't--preserve at archaeological sites in the Upper Midwest? Many factors affect the survival of items that are discarded or placed in the ground. MVAC Research Intern Cindy Kocik discusses some important factors and their effects on artifacts and ecofacts (plant, animal, and other biological remains related to human activity) at archaeological sites. She also touches on conditions in which materials that usually decay sometimes preserve.
Here's what the video covers, and some links for further information:
Timecodes
00:00
00:04 - Introduction
01:08 - Preservation Factors in the Upper Midwest
03:07 - Stone
03:32 - Ceramics
04:39 - Organic Materials: An Overview
07:11 - Organic Materials: Animal Remains
14:23 - Organic Materials: Plant Remains
15:27 - Metal
16:42 - Glass
17:08 - Residues
17:45 - Rock Art
19:15 - Summary and Resources
Related MVAC webpages:
-Artistic Expression (describes artistic items that do and do not preserve): www.uwlax.edu/...
-Copper Beads: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Cordage Analysis from Pottery: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Ecofacts: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Faunal Analysis: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Floral Analysis: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Moccasin: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Rock Art: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Rock Art Preservation: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Rockshelter: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Rodent Run (includes link to “Bioturbation” page): www.uwlax.edu/...
-Soil and Chemical Analysis: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Torch - Birch Bark: www.uwlax.edu/...
-Woven Bag: www.uwlax.edu/...
Related MVAC videos:
-Bone Tools -- Delve further into how Indigenous peoples modified animal bones in the past with MVAC Senior Research Associate Dr. James Theler: • Bone Tools
-Floral Analysis: Plant Remains and Past Peoples -- Learn more about the types of plant remains that preserve in the Midwest and how archaeologists study them: • Floral Analysis: Plant...
-Groundstone Tools vs Natural Stones -- MVAC Senior Research Associate Dr. Connie Arzigian touches on recognizing frost damage in stone in this video about how to differentiate groundstone tools from naturally altered rock: • Groundstone Tools vs N...
Artifact Identification
Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse works mainly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and can provide information related to that region. If you would like information on artifacts, email a description of the item and where it was found, and attach a picture of the artifact with a scale to show its size. For more information visit MVAC’s website at: www.uwlax.edu/....
For information on other regions, we suggest contacting the appropriate state archaeologist from the following list: sites.google.c....

[@TomBoughton3]

What a fabulous resource this series of archeology videos has proved to be. Thank you. Great presentation, great content.

[@lesjones5684]

Oh babe ❤❤❤

[@xamishia]

Nice

[@RickMunday]

You were outside recording this the day I came to visit :-) I was the dummy that asked you if it was open to the public and where to go in :-)

[@4quall]

Security had to be called 😂

[@RickMunday]

@@4quall Hah! No, I'm the good guy.

[@lesjones5684]

Da 😂😂😂