The archaeological remains of postholes usually relate to three different events, the digging of the hole, Filling of the hole around the post, and the removal of the post by human activity or by the process of decomposition.

Separating these events is crucial in determining the life span of the structure. Any artifact found in the posthole fill dates to the time of construction, any artifact found in the postmold (the soil where the post was either removed or rotted in place) dates after the destruction. If archaeologists are lucky enough to find datable artifacts in the postmold as well as the posthole, they can establish the construction and destruction date for the structure.