Preservation and the Archaeological Record

Organic materials, including the human body, decompose when buried in the ground. Clothing made of animal skins or hides does not survive after many years of burial. Likewise, most pigments used to paint the body do not survive. Foodstuffs placed in ceramic pots, gourd containers, or shell cups also disappear except for microscopic or chemical evidence. As a result, although archaeologists are extremely careful to recover all traces of organic materials, interpretation of these burial practices is based largely on tradition and historical research.

North Carolina · United States