stratum

Definitions

• A layer or a series of layers of rock in the ground.
  A silent page within Earth's grand book, where time's ink has dried in mineral veins.
  Example: The fossils were found in the lowest stratum of the rock layer.
• A level or class to which people are assigned according to their social status, education, or income.
  Invisible tiers in the theater of life, where actors are cast by fortune's fickle hand.
  Example: Society's upper stratum has greater access to resources.