Plural of caliche; a hard crust of minerals (especially calcium carbonate) that forms in soil, common in arid and semi-arid regions.
From Spanish caliche, likely from Quechua (an indigenous South American language) or possibly from Arabic qali meaning 'alkali.' The term is widely used in geology and soil science, particularly in the Americas.
Caliche is like nature's concrete—when deserts get rain, minerals crystallize and cement soil into hard layers that block water and make digging nearly impossible, but archaeologists love it because it preserves ancient artifacts!
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