When it comes to archeology, the word “excavation” is always associated with it. Many of the historical buildings and cultural heritages are brought to light thanks to the careful archaeological excavations. How can these ruins, including the gigantic ones, remain several meters underground?
The question of how the ancient cities we visited and the huge architectural structures in the heart of modern cities were unearthed from meters under the ground with archaeological excavations; It was a question we all wondered about on school trips to archaeological sites as a child. Or who buried a vase, once very valuable to its owner, that we saw in a museum we visited, how and why…
In fact, most historical artifacts were not specifically buried in the ground.
Let’s explain this part with an example: You may have heard of the “Hippodrome Project”, which had a great impact recently. There are some historical ruins in the region that have survived to the present day. One of them is the famous Dikili Taş. There are several meters between the base of the Obelisk and the ground we set foot on. Since it is a relic found in an open area, its surroundings are under control for security purposes.
But no one left his ground there consciously. History itself and historical buildings are in layers because different human communities living in each period added a new one to the remains of the old culture.
Power wars, land fights and over-building are the main reasons for these.
People used to use the regions they had taken control of in wars, sometimes by burning down and looting. Many cultures throughout history have established different new civilizations in the same locations. Some wanted to completely destroy the previous one, while others preferred to do this in a controlled way by changing and renewing the existing ones.
Let’s give an example; Since it would be difficult and time-consuming to carry the remains of a destroyed or destroyed structure under the conditions of that period, new structures were built on top of each other.
Over time, nature took over the abandoned cities.
In the habitats that people left for some reason, plants grew very easily and quickly, and their numbers increased in the area they were located. Rotting leaves from trees or plants formed a new layer over the soil in heaps.
The roots of new plants also engulfed everything in their area. Of course, this happened over a very long time. Thus, most of the historical sites, buildings and furniture remained within the newly formed ground layer.
The wind carried many substances from place to place and formed heaps.
In fact, the wind carries materials that cannot be seen with the naked eye, far away from their geography. We know that some of the architectural structures on the surface, which belong to the periods in which solid building materials were not yet discovered, were destroyed by wind erosion.
As a result, after quite a long time for human life; As a result of the accumulation of dust, soil, leaves and human garbage from one region in another geography, heaps are formed on other cities.
As a result of natural disasters, many ancient structures and settlements were buried in the depths of history.
As a result of many natural events such as volcanic eruptions, great earthquakes and fires, rivers overflowing at certain times, heavy rains and sandstorms, some cultures disappeared. The biggest example of such events is the volcanic eruption in Pompeii. In addition, new layers were formed in the region as a result of the destruction of the residential areas made of non-durable materials and various natural events.
Some survived and discovered new places. Some of them built new ones on the structures that were destroyed and destroyed in their places. Thus, it was combined with other reasons and over time, over time, the constructions increased. Only; Historical artifacts that have suffered the least damage from nature, natural disasters and people survive. The least damaged are usually those buried under the ground or historical relics made of solid material.
- Sources: The Straight Dope, Science Focus
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