How Grain Size Corresponds With Human Habitation

Humans have reacted to changes in their environment for millennia. Consequently, humans have modified their environment for just as long. This study sought to see if humans inhabited South Inlet Park in Boca Raton, FL because of improved environmental conditions, which would cause a natural change in grain size, or if the grain size shifted because humans inhabited the area. Two locations were picked at South Inlet Park for archaeological excavation. Sediment samples were collected during the excavation from different levels of the test units. Each individual sample was weighed when wet to measure the moisture concentration because this affects how the artifacts are preserved. Then, the samples were dried overnight and weighed again before sieving. Sieving separates the sediment by grain size, which allows for the weight to be categorized by the size of the sediment. The data was then recorded and analyzed to see if there was any correlation between human inhabitation and grain size. Preliminary data shows that grain size was smaller in the levels where human artifacts were found, indicating there was a shift in the grain size during times of human habitation.