Overburden
earth and rock covering a mineral deposit
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Overburden is the material that sits on top of an area where miners or archaeologists want to dig. In mining, it is usually the soil or rock that sits on top of a coal or ore deposit. The soil needs to be removed to get to the minerals or objects below.
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Lark_Quarry_-_overburden.jpg/220px-Lark_Quarry_-_overburden.jpg)