The Use of Soil Micromorphology at Sylvester Manor

Soil micromorphology is a vibrant sub-discipline of archaeology that studies sediment fabric, color, composition, shape, layering, and sorting using intact soil cores and thin sections. This technique takes into account the dynamic relationship between people and the world in which they live, and has contributed useful archaeological data to the Sylvester Manor Project. This paper constructs a landscape history for portions of the South and West lawns using soil cores and thin sections. Results reveal how Sylvester Manor’s lawn, Midden, and Brick and Mortar Layer were composed, as well as how they were changed over time by plant and animal activity. These results have been used to better excavate and interpret the archaeological record of Sylvester Manor. This article provides an excellent example of how soil micromorphology can be used by historical archaeologists to more fully understand the archaeology of the modern world