Trampling, Poaching and the Effect of Traffic

Micromorphologists are often interested in identifying surfaces intercalated within stratified sequences, and in analysing the activities that took place on them. This chapter illustrates the micromor-phological features deriving from trampling, poaching and traffic through a series of examples from archaeological contexts. Trampling usually takes place on dry or prevalently dry conditions, as for example in roofed spaces, on both constructed and nonconstructed floors. Poaching indicates trampling on very wet, preferentially water-saturated sediments. The chapter then presents observations on the effects of experimental trampling on different substrates, taking into consideration various circumstances (such as duration and environment), but without the negative effects of postsedimentary processes. Experimental studies represent an approach frequently employed in geoarchaeology. The chapter describes the effects of trampling in three archaeological sites with greatly varying substrates, and also presents experiments conducted under laboratory conditions.