Palaeolithic Potential Overview: Deposit-Centred Approach Analysis

1. Identifying Palaeolithic potential: Desk-based Assessment & Deposit-centred Approach Francis Wenban-Smith Heritage in Practice CPD course Birkbeck, University of London 15th September 2017 CAHO-Contracting Palaeolithic pre-construction archaeology Department of Archaeology

2. CAHO- Contracting Introduction • Desk-based assessment • Deposit-centred Approach • Methods: deposits • Methods: Pal remains • Deposit types and interpretations • Case-study 1 - DBA worked example

3. CAHO- Contracting Desk-based assessment • Identify potential presence of important Palaeolithic remains • Pleistocene deposits • Presence, distribution and types • Establish known/potential presence of Pal remains

4. Deposit-centred Approach: a - the wider picture CAHO- Contracting • Geological mapping • Solid geology • Drift geology • Topography • Previous Palaeolithic finds: - HER - SRPP, ERPP

5. Deposit-centred Approach: b - PCAs, the closer, site-specific picture CAHO- Contracting • Landscape situation • Mapped deposits • Extrapolated deposits • Known finds • Extrapolated finds • Palaeolithic Character Areas - PCAs * - map + attribute table - deposit character - Palaeolithic remains - potential

6. Methods: - deposits CAHO- Contracting • Identify the range of Pleistocene deposit types • Consider their formation processes • Consider their distribution and likely extrapolation • Consider their presence/extrapolation in the specific site area

7. Methods: - Palaeolithic remains CAHO- Contracting • HER • SRPP/ERPP • Identify their association with deposits • Consider their integrity and disturbance

8. Deposits: 1 - geological mapping CAHO- Contracting Drift Solid

9. Deposits: 2 - Simple Pleistocene groupings, Wymer CAHO- Contracting • Wymer 1995 - The contexts of palaeoliths * • SERF - South-East Research Framework

10. Deposits: 2 - Simple Pleistocene groupings, SERF CAHO- Contracting • Wymer 1995 - The contexts of palaeoliths * • SERF - South-East Research Framework • Other Research Frameworks are available..

11. Deposits: 3 - Simple Pleistocene groupings, SERF CAHO- Contracting • Wymer 1995 - The contexts of palaeoliths * • SERF - South-East Research Framework • Other Research Frameworks are available.. SERF Lower/Middle Palaeolithic Resource Assessment: principal Pleistocene deposit groups

12. Deposits: SERF 1a - Anglian/pre-Anglian terrace/plateau deposits CAHO- Contracting • landscape situation • presumed fluvial, high energy? • reasonably constrained dating (if can be established) • old! so re-working not an issue • key Pal Q: residual, or contained

13. Deposits: SERF 1b - post-Anglian terrace deposits - not “gravels” CAHO- Contracting • coarse-grained, fine-grained • high energy deposition, low energy deposition • can contain hiatuses, palaeo-landsurfaces • sites/concentrations, not just gen homogenous mix • reasonably constrained dating (if can be established) • major potential wrt research frameworks

14. Deposits: SERF 2 - Residual, Clay-with-flints CAHO- Contracting • residual, palimpsest • no dating constraint • limited potential wrt research framework

15. Deposits: SERF 3 - Coombe/Head deposits CAHO- Contracting • generally low potential • occasionally high importance • can gently bury undisturbed material: Red Barns, Ebbsfleet Green

16. Deposits: SERF 4 - Aeolian/loessic silt, plateau brickearth CAHO- Contracting • defined by landscape situation and sediment • gentle deposition, no disturbance • prone to landscape mobility, slopewash • contrast between English and N France records - why? • an unrecognised resource?

17. Deposits: SERF 5 - Marine littoral (raised beach, intertidal/estuarine) CAHO- Contracting • limited occurrence • varies from high energy and very disturbed.. • .. to totally undisturbed: one afternoon • Boxgrove horse butchery site • “Brickearth”??

18. CAHO- Contracting Worked example: M25 junction 2 improvement • Real-world example • Demonstrate general approaches • Prelude to second case study, done as group work