Soil Analysis at the St. John’s Site

Abstract

This chapter explores the use of soil chemistry in distributional analyses to explore human behavior through non-artifactual manifestations of occupation. Using a standard agricultural assessment, soil phosphate (PO4), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) are mapped to decipher how a landscape was used through time. Both concentrations and absence of these key soil elements are indicative of different types of human intervention. Analysis of soil elements within cultural point-type deposits can also be explored using the standard agricultural assessment. The use of this type of sampling in historical archaeology was pioneered at St. Mary’s City. In addition to the utility of soil chemical analysis, the approach’s drawbacks and challenges are reviewed.