Scope note

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This class comprises connected portions of terrain or other solid structure on, in, or under the surface of earth or seafloor exhibiting some homogeneity of structure or substance and completely bounded by surfaces or discontinuities in substance or structure with respect to other portions of the terrain or surfaces of objects/finds.

An instance of A8 Stratigraphic Unit may contain physical objects. The internal continuity and the boundaries of an instance of A8 Stratigraphic Unit should be of a kind that can be attributed to a single genesis event or process and have the potential to be observed.

One genesis event may have created more than one SU. An instance of A8 Stratigraphic Unit is regarded to exist as long as a part of its matter is still in place with respect to a surrounding reference space such that its spatial features can be associated with effects of the genesis process of interest. Normally at least one of the surfaces (such as the lower one) from its genesis event will remain during its existence.

This also implies that a certain degree of coherent (“conformal”) deformation is tolerable within its time-span of existence. Therefore the place an instance of A8 Stratigraphic Unit occupies can be uniquely identified with respect to the surrounding reference space of archaeological interest.

Language

en