holesremains

Holesremains is a term used in archaeology, geology, and geomorphology to describe the assemblage of evidence retained after cavities are formed and subsequently filled in sedimentary contexts. The term encompasses the physical cavity remnants (such as pits, shafts, boreholes, or hollowed beds), the infilling materials, and the surrounding displaced sediment that forms distinctive stratigraphic units. Holesremains can arise from a variety of processes, including subsidence, quarrying, fossil burrows, secluded storage pits, and collapse features. The recognition of holesremains relies on combining plan-view mapping, section profiles, and microstratigraphic analysis to distinguish cavity-related features from adjacent sedimentary layers.

In site interpretation, holesremains are valuable because the infill often preserves artifacts, ecofacts, or datable material that records human activity, environmental conditions, or geological events. Interpreting holesremains typically involves dating the infill, analyzing grain size and mineralogy, and correlating the feature with broader stratigraphic sequences. Notable distinctions within holesremains include intact infill pits that preserve organizational patterns (e.g., storage pits with structured layers) versus irregular collapse remains that suggest post-depositional disturbance.

Critically, holesremains are not a universal term and may be used variably across disciplines; some researchers prefer to treat cavity features as independent classifications (pits, borings, burrows) with separate interpretive criteria. See also pit feature, palaeosol, and archaeological stratigraphy.