To fill in something again, especially to refill a hole or excavation with soil or material after work is completed.
From 'back' + 'fill,' becoming common in construction and archaeology by the 20th century. The 'back' suggests returning to a previous state.
Archaeologists hate backfilling because once you cover up a dig site, you destroy the stratigraphy—the layers that tell the story—so many sites remain partially excavated for decades or centuries.
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