Site destruction and obfuscation are significant processes that hinder archaeological interpretations. This article focuses on a few natural taphonomic agencies impinging on archaeological site preservation in highland Central American settings. Precipitation and drainage are especially crucial in these riverine environments. Access to water for consumption and agriculture were vital factors in the determination of settlement patterns. Over time, a mixture of both gradual and catastrophic processes ranging from moderate rainstorms to hurricanes are known to trigger flooding, riverine erosion, and landslides with the potential to destroy or obscure vulnerable valley sites. Examples are given of Classic Period (A.D. 200–900) archaeological sites from the Cucuyagua and Sensenti valleys in western Honduras affected by catastrophic weather events during occupation and after site abandonment. Mudslides and landslides, in particular, are highlighted as significant destructive processes that remain under‐discussed in regional literature. Furthermore, we highlight the possible causal role of hurricanes in provoking both landslides and flooding. Finally, we consider the impact of these events in our particular study area.

中文翻译：

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飓风，泥石流，洪水和河流侵蚀对洪都拉斯热带高地考古遗址擦除的影响

遗址的破坏和混淆是阻碍考古学解释的重要过程。本文着重介绍影响中美洲高地考古遗址保存的几种自然有机物代理机构。在这些河流环境中，降水和排水尤为重要。消费和农业用水是决定定居方式的重要因素。随着时间的流逝，从中度暴雨到飓风的渐进和灾难性过程的混合已知会引发洪水，河流侵蚀和山体滑坡，有可能破坏或掩盖脆弱的山谷地带。给出了经典时期（AD 洪都拉斯西部库库瓜瓜河谷和森森蒂河谷的200-900个考古遗址在占领期间和遗弃后都受到灾难性天气事件的影响。尤其是泥石流和滑坡是重要的破坏性过程，在区域文献中仍未得到充分讨论。此外，我们强调了飓风在引发滑坡和洪水方面的可能原因。最后，我们考虑这些事件对我们特定研究领域的影响。