Section (archaeology)

The main problem with sections is that the arbitrary location of their placement may "clip" or "just miss" contexts that reveal a different story from the one interpreted by the archaeologist.

Then once a relationship is established contexts can be removed from site in the reverse order they arrived in accordance with the stratigraphic excavation and the creation of a Harris matrix for the sequence being investigated.

In this regard the modern archaeologist uses sectioning as a tool for understanding the site stratigraphically during excavation rather than as an end goal in recording it.

A revival of digging in section with machines has occurred in recent years by a proliferation of limited time constrained development led excavations.

Sometimes called digging by quadrant this special case is a procedure for excavating circular features, usually mounds and barrows.