The Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation. Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, 345pp. (OR/10/054) 2011
by Ben Gearey
Tappin, D.R.; Pearce, B.; Fitch, S.; Dove, D.; Gearey, B.; Hill, J.M.; Chambers, C.; Bates, R.; Pinnion, J.; Diaz Doce, D.; Green, M.; Gallyot, J.; Georgiou, L.; Brutto, D.; Marzialetti, S.; Hopla, E.; Ramsay, E.; Fielding, H..
The Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC)
is a multidisciplinary marine study of the geology,... more
The Humber Regional Environmental Characterisation (REC)
is a multidisciplinary marine study of the geology, biology
and archaeology of an area of 11 000 km2 off the east coast
of England. It was funded by the Marine Aggregate Levy
Sustainability Fund (MALSF).
2. Within the REC area, there are 12 active aggregate licences
with applications submitted for 10 more. Within the region
there is also gas production, wind energy development, and
intensive shellfish harvesting. Without proper management of
the sea bed areas there could be conflict over development of
resources in the area.
3. The overall objective of the REC project was to provide
integrated broadscale seabed maps in order to support the
sustainable management of offshore resources now and into
the future. The basis of the maps is a regional assessment
of the physical, biological and archaeological environment.
Here for the Humber REC area we present the results of each
individual project element together with their integration into a
holistic overview of the marine environment.
4. In addition to SeaZone single beam bathymetry, data from
three geophysical and one sampling survey provided the basis
for the interpretation. BGS legacy data supplemented the
new data set. In total these data provided a sound basis for
reporting on the regional character of the geology, biology and
archaeology of the area.
5. The geology of the Humber REC area is characterised by a
western gravelly region, a sandy eastern one and a transitional
area in between. Outside of large sand banks and areas of
sand waves the mobile sediment cover is thin. The terminations
of the outer Norfolk Banks are located in the southeast of the
area, and a series of low amplitude sinuous and linear banks
are found in the southwest and centre. A number of arcuate and
linear deeps, with a radial pattern incise the seabed.
6. The morphology and sediment distribution are attributed to a
number of episodes; initially the region was glaciated and the
Bolders Bank till Formation was laid down. After deglaciation
the till was eroded to leave a thin coarse-grained relict deposit.
As sea level rose the area was transgressed, the relict deposit
winnowed and fine grained sediment was transported into
the area from the south. This sediment was reworked into the
sand banks and sand waves present today over much of the
sea bed. The dominance of gravelly sediment in the nearshore
areas is the result of strong currents.
7. The Humber REC area is a region which is rich in archaeology,
with finds ranging from the Palaeolithic to World War II. The
archaeological material in the Humber REC region can be found
both on and beneath the seabed. This archaeological material
can be grouped into three main categories, prehistoric, maritime
and aviation, all of which are present within the study area.
8. Several locations of archaeo-environmental potential were
discovered during the Humber REC which directly relate to
the regions prehistoric archaeological potential. Most of this
potential is present in major channel systems within the south
and east of the study area and dates to the Mesolithic period.
9. The submerged prehistoric resource has been characterised.
This has been derived from the spatial mapping for the
Mesolithic period. Evidence for earlier periods of prehistory
is limited within the study area. The characterisation of
the Mesolithic landscape indicates that where suitable
preservation conditions exist there may be a large resource of
material present.
10. The maritime archaeological resource from the late 19th
century onwards can be located across the study area and has
also been spatially mapped and characterised. No evidence
was found for pre 19th century wrecks, despite documentary
evidence indicating their presence.
11. The Humber REC area has also been a focus for aviation
activity, particularly during World War II, and correspondingly,
wrecked aircraft are likely. As most aircraft break up on impact,
the wreckage is not commonly intact and can be hard to
locate. As such, the number of aircraft wreck sites known to
be present within the study area is assumed to represent only
a small proportion of incidents, but are possibly more likely
in areas on routes to and from World War II targets such as
nearby airbases and Kingston upon Hull.
12. Analysis of the biological data collected across the Humber
REC study area revealed four functional biological communities.
13. The most common community ‘infaunal polychaetes with
burrowing bivalves and amphipods’ was recorded across much of
the mid and eastern sections of the study area in sandy deposits.
The second most abundant community was characterised by
‘barnacles, ascidians and tubiculous polychaetes’ and was
associated with coarser, mixed sediments with suitable areas
for attachment. In some areas where the REC study area was
influenced by higher levels of sand this community was replaced
by a ‘Sabellaria spinulosa reef’ community. A small number of
locations, in both mixed and sandy sediments, were found to
support a very sparse biological community.
14. The biological communities were found to correlate strongly
with the composition of sediment deposits, but were also
influenced by shear bed stress and stratification of the water
column. Predicted biotope distributions maps were created
for the Humber REC study area utilising the EUNIS habitat
classification scheme and habitat suitability modelling.
Both methods yielded maps which are suitable for marine
management purposes. However, since the EUNIS scheme
forces a split on a limited set of environmental variables, which
did not correlate strongly with the biological communities, it
was felt that this method led to an overly complicated map with
many communities occurring in multiple habitats.The EUNIS
habitat model and RECHUM functional community model were
combined to create a full coverage biotope model equivalent to
EUNIS Level 5.
15. A number of rare and alien species were identified across the
Humber REC study area including the tiny bivalve Coracuta
obliquata This is only the second record of this species from
British waters in the last 100 years. The invasive American
Slipper limpet was also observed and it is thought that these
records may indicate a northwards shift in the range of this
species, possibly associated with a warming climate.
16. Potentially important Annex I reef habitats were found in
association with the Silver Pit. The reefs were predominantly
created by the Ross worm Sabellaria spinulosa although high
densities of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis were also identified.
It seems likely that there is a cyclical succession occurring
between these two reef building species driven by minor
changes in environmental conditions and recruitment success.
Climatic, vegetation and cultural change in the eastern Mediterranean during the mid-Holocene environmental transition
Neil Roberts,Warren J. Eastwood,Catherine Kuzucuogˇ lu, Girolamo Fiorentino, Valentina Caracuta
published in The Holocene 21(1) 147-162
Perameles sobbei sp. nov.(Marsupialia, Peramelidae), a Pleistocene bandicoot from the Darling Downs, south-eastern Queensland
Price, G.J., 2002. Perameles sobbei sp. nov. (Marsupialia, Peramelidae), a Pleistocene bandicoot from the Darling Downs, south-eastern Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 48, 193-197.
Perameles sobbei sp. nov. is described from Pleistocene fluviatile sediments from King Creek on the eastern Darling... more Perameles sobbei sp. nov. is described from Pleistocene fluviatile sediments from King Creek on the eastern Darling Downs. Perameles sobbei falls within the size range of modern Perameles species, but its molar morphology indicates a closer affinity with the early Pliocene species, P. bowensis. Both species retain the plesiomorphic states of possessing straight cristid obliquas with closely approximated trigonid cuspids, and the synapomorphic state of the reduction of the hypoconulid on M3. However, the great size difference and slight molar morphology differences between the two are considered sufficient to warrant specific separation. Perameles sobbei sp. nov. is the third fossil Perameles species described and the first from Pleistocene deposits.
2 views
Seen by:Geoarchaeological research at Tratturo Caniò (2009)
by Gijs Tol
R. Feiken, C. Anastasia, G. Tol & M. van Leusen forthcoming. Geoarchaeological research at Tratturo Caniò (2009), Palaeohistoria 53/54 (2011/2012).
6 views
Seen by:Between the Lines: Enhancing methodologies for the exploration of extensive inundated palaeolandscapes, In D. Cowley (ed.) Remote Sensing for Archaeological Heritage Management. Occasional Publication of the Aerial Archaeology Research Group No. 3, 173-205.
by Ben Gearey
co-authored with S. Fitch, V. Gaffney and E. Ramsey
In recent years there has been an increasing appreciation of the archaeological potential of European coastal shelves.... more In recent years there has been an increasing appreciation of the archaeological potential of European coastal shelves. This interest has not, however, simply been associated with the progress of traditional maritime history but rather the development of a wider marine archaeology aimed at exploring the settlement and cultural sequences of the immense, prehistoric landscapes that lie off some of our coasts. Inaccessible until quite recently, the development of a variety of remote sensing technologies has made exploration of these inhospitable landscapes a real possibility. The information that is being provided from such work is fundamentally changing our perception of the archaeology of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic. This paper discusses the application of legacy seismic data to map these palaeolandscapes and contrasts the value of 2D and 3D data for these purposes. The results of new research in the North Sea and off the west coast of the United Kingdom are presented and used to test wide sampling strategies that have the potential to explore areas of the sea that have not been mapped using 3D technologies. The paper argues that a range of prospection strategies should be employed within these environments and that they should be optimised to support specific research goals. In the light of marine development and current economic uncertainty, the paper argues that heritage curators and researchers must take full advantage of data sets that have cost billions to capture and that provide unparalleled opportunities for research and management.
18 views
Seen by:Lateglacial vegetation change in East Yorkshire: a radiocarbon dated pollen sequence from Routh Quarry, Beverley. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 57, 113-122
by Ben Gearey
Pollen and radiocarbon analyses of Lateglacial Interstadial deposits from Routh Quarry, East Yorkshire, indicate the... more Pollen and radiocarbon analyses of Lateglacial Interstadial deposits from Routh Quarry, East Yorkshire, indicate the growth of open, herb-rich grassland vegetation during the early part of the Interstadial. The subsequent expansion of birch and juniper scrubland appears to have been accompanied by a brief period of landscape stability prior to a contraction in both taxa, probably as a result of a climatic cooling. A series of fluctuations in the representation of birch during the later part of the Interstadial may likewise be related to periods of climatic cooling identified in other proxy records from Britain and Europe. Successional processes at the site resulted in the growth of a brown moss fen, which in turn led to changes in the representation of certain pollen taxa, possibly connected to taphonomic factors resulting from changes in pollen source area as much as actual vegetation change. The transition to the Loch Lomond Stadial is not clearly resolved palynologically, but appears to have led to the destabilization of local soils and the deposition of a clay-silt layer over the fen deposits.
Jorda y otros 2011 BRSEHN Paleogeografia Nerja
Evolución paleogeográfica, paleoclimática y paleoambiental de la costa meridional de la Península Ibérica durante el Pleistoceno superior. El caso de la Cueva de Nerja (Málaga, Andalucía, España)
Palaeogeographic, palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula during the Upper Pleistocene. The case of the Nerja Cave (Malaga, Andalusia, Spain)
Jesús F. Jordá Pardo, Adolfo Maestro González, J. Emili Aura Tortosa, Esteban Álvarez Fernández, Bárbara Avezuela Aristu, Ernestina Badal García, Juan V. Morales Pérez, Manuel Pérez Ripoll y Mª. Paz Villalba Currás
Bol. R. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 105 (1-4): 137-147. Publicación online (13-12-2011)
We present the palaeogeographic, palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes occurred during the Upper Pleistocene... more We present the palaeogeographic, palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes occurred during the Upper Pleistocene and the Early Holocene in the southern Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula in the eastern sector of the province of Malaga, at south of the Sierra de Almijara. The study of these changes has been made from the analysis of bathymetric and geomorphological mapping of the underwater coastal in the studied area, the record of the sea surface temperature of the Alboran Sea from the MD95-2043 core and the radiometric, archaeological and palaeobiological data provided by the stratigraphic record of the external chambers of the ancient entrance of the Nerja Cave (Nerja, Malaga, Andalusia, Spain). This sedimentary record was placed in the cavity between the final stages of the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene, covering the end of OIS 3, the OIS 2 and the first half of OIS 1 with a chronological span between 29600 and 3940 years cal BP, according to the information provided by radiocarbon dating. To be more precise: this sedimentation began in the interstadial complex GI 4 immediately after Heinrich event 3 and ended in the chronozone Subatlantic with twelve stages of development of erosion and sedimentation that have six occupational episodes well-defined (Gravettian, Solutrean, Magdalenian, Epipaleolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic) and a worse delimited period (Mesolithic) separated by hiatuses of varying duration. During the Upper Pleistocene and Early Holocene the position of the sea surface was located at different levels below their current position, which conditioned the emergence of a coastal strip of varying amplitude over time, in which, humans populations living in the Nerja Cave developed their activities. Throughout that period we also observed a marked variation in the surface temperature of sea water and a series of changes in the position of the bioclimatic belts in the Sierra de Almijara and in the composition of vegetation and vertebrate and invertebrate fauna that were consumed by the prehistoric inhabitants of the Cave of Nerja. In this context it should be noted the abundant presence in the record of the cavity of marine fauna (echinoids, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, birds, mammals), among which, several species of northern latitudes and colder waters are included, currently outside the Mediterranean.
9 views
Seen by:Archäobotanische Untersuchungen der eisenzeitlichen und kaiserzeitlichen Siedlung von Mardorf 23
Published in: Berliner Archäologische Forschungen 5, 2008, 353-426.
Archaeobotanical examinations were undertaken on 559 samples from 92 fi nd contexts found in the settlement of... more
Archaeobotanical examinations were undertaken on 559 samples from 92 fi nd contexts found in the settlement of Mardorf. The contexts could be assigned to an Iron Age-Celtic phase, a Roman Imperial-Germanic phase and a transitional phase. Results of the archaeobotanical analyses are recorded in the lists of the finds of plant remains (Tab. 3 and 6) as well as in graphs. In view of the evidence of grains, there is a distinct change in crop cultivation from the Celtic to the Germanic phases of settlement. The cultivation of dinkel and naked wheat as typical winter cereals is clearly attested only in the Iron Age-Celtic settlement, whereas primarily summer cereals were cultivated during the Germanic settlement phase. These include barley, true millet and presumably emmer too. Grain cultivation in the summer and winter as well as imports like figs and celery during the Iron Age-Celtic phase should be seen against the background of the settlement confi guration existing at that time in the Amoeneburg basin During the Celtic phase in Mardorf the amount of peas and unidentifi able legumes grown display the greatest constancy with 44 % each, surpassing lentils with 36 %, whereas during the transitional phase and the Roman Imperial-Germanic phase this ratio is reversed. During the Iron Age-Celtic phase the best kinds of firewood – oak and beech – were regularly used, while after the transitional period the greatly increased presence of alder in the Germanic settlement suggests that stronger economic use was made of alder woods in the Ohm lowlands near the settlement. A further and new aspect of kinds of firewood during the Germanic phase is the use of the birch tree.
Concentrations of plant remains are considerably lower in Mardorf during the transitional phase and in find contexts of the Roman Imperial period. They amount to only one-eighth of the earlier Iron Age-Celtic values. This circumstance is not due to poor conditions for preservation. Instead, it seems that fewer cultivated plants, in particular cereals, were processed within the set settlement itself.
Cultivation of winter cereals and the great variety of cultivated domestic plants resulted in a surplus production in the rural settlement of Mardorf 23, which in turn enabled the supply of the central site of the Amoeneburg; however, this was no longer necessary during the transitional phase and the Roman Imperial period. According to botanical results, the Germanic system of agriculture in Hesse was a simple subsistence economy with an
emphasis on summer crops and only superficial farming. This Germanic system has been attested in all areas investigated within and outside of the later Roman Empire, where it replaces the Celtic system of agriculture.
Due to the lack of archaeobotanical examinations in the eastern areas, in the present state of research it cannot be determined whether new features that appeared during the transitional and Roman Imperial-Germanic period were introduced from outside or locally ‘invented’. From an archaeobotanical view it seems that external cultural influences, for example the new immigration of Germanic settlers, were a possible decisive factor.
20 views
Seen by:Relikte einer spätmittelalterlichen Zeidlerei in der Oberpfalz. To be published in: Siedlungsforschung. Archäologie – Geschichte – Geographie. Schwerpunktthema „Konsum und Kulturlandschaft"
Co-authored with H. Losert, B. Niemeyer and F. Turner. Paper shortly before completion.
Isotopes in pyrogenic carbon: a review
Co-authored with M. I. Bird.
Published in Organic Geochemistry, Volume 42, Issue 12, January 2012, Pages 1529-1539 (Organic Isotopes in Soil)
Pyrogenic carbon (PC; also known as biochar, charcoal, black carbon and soot) derived from natural and anthropogenic... more Pyrogenic carbon (PC; also known as biochar, charcoal, black carbon and soot) derived from natural and anthropogenic burning plays a major, but poorly quantified, role in the global carbon cycle. Isotopes provide a fundamental fingerprint of the source of PC and a powerful tracer of interactions between PC and the environment. Radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope techniques have been widely applied to studies of PC in aerosols, soils, sediments and archaeological sequences, with the use of other isotopes currently less developed. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding (i) techniques for isolating PC for isotope analysis and (ii) processes controlling the carbon (13C and 14C), nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur isotope composition of PC during formation and after deposition. It also reviews the current and potential future applications of isotope based studies to better understand the role of PC in the modern environment and to the development of records of past environmental change.
USOS DEL SÒL I ACTIVITATS PRODUCTIVES A BARCELONA A PARTIR DE L’ANÀLISI PALEOAMBIENTAL DE LA LLACUNA LITORAL MEDIEVAL DEL PLA DE PALAU
RAMON JULIÀ BRUGUÉS & SANTIAGO RIERA MORA
QUARHIS, ÈPOCA II, NÚM. 6 (2010), pp. 164-177
Middle Palaeolithic human occupation of the high altitude region of Hovk-1, Armenia
Pinhasi R., Gasparian B., Nahapetyan S., Bar-Oz G., Weissbrod L., Bruch A.A., Hovsepyan R., Wilkinson K. 2011. Middle Palaeolithic human occupation of the high altitude region of Hovk-1, Armenia. Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 30, Issue 27-28, December 2011, Pages 3846-3857.
Charting the timing of human occupation in the mountainous regions of the Caucasus during the Last... more
Charting the timing of human occupation in the mountainous regions of the Caucasus during the Last Interglacial/Glacial periods is of particular interest to the understanding of past human adaptive and behavioural plasticity and capacity. In this paper we analyse palaeoenvironmental, faunal, and archaeological data gathered during 2006-2009 excavations of the Palaeolithic cave site of Hovk-1, Armenia, in order to address whether human presence in this cave correlates with episodes of mild climate and certain environmental and ecological conditions that were favourable to huminin occupation in such a region. In the second part of the paper we evaluate the implications of our results in understanding the nature of human presence in other mountainous regions such as the Alps and its potential implications for Palaeolithic research.
Our analysis demonstrates that hominins occupied Hovk-1 Cave during milder climatic phases of the Last Interglacial sensu lato (MIS 5d-c) and Last Glacial (late MIS 4/early MIS 3) periods when the area surrounding the cave was an open meadow environment. The stratigraphic Units with noticeable traces of hominin occupation (Units 4, 5 & 8) contrast with others in the lack of cave bear fauna and suggest an inverse correlation between human and cave bear occupational phases in Hovk-1. We speculate that human groups visited this region to hunt specific prey species that prevailed in this habitat (such as the bezoar goat). However, the assemblages of large mammals from Hovk-1 do not provide any clear anthropogenic signal and therefore highlight the difficulty of teasing apart natural and cultural formation processes.
Enregistrement des variations climatiques au cours des interglaciaires d'après l'étude des isotopes stables de la calcite de tufs pléistocène du nord de la France : exemple des séquences de Caours (SIM 5e; Somme) et La-Celle-sur-Seine (MIS 11 ; Seine-et-Marne)
Co-authors with N. Limondin-Lozouet, P. Antoine, A. Marca-Bell and J. Andrews.
Published in Quaternaire, 22 (4), 2011
RECORD OF CLIMATIC CHANGES DURING INTERGLACIALS FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN NORTHERN FRANCE PLEISTOCENE TUFA CALCITE:... more
RECORD OF CLIMATIC CHANGES DURING INTERGLACIALS FROM STABLE ISOTOPES IN NORTHERN FRANCE PLEISTOCENE TUFA CALCITE: EXAMPLES OF CAOURS (MIS 5e; SOMME) AND LA CELLE (MIS 11; SEINE ET MARNE).
Tufas are mainly composed of calcite (CaCO3) which makes them suitable for geochemical investigation, especially oxygen and carbon stable isotopes (δ18O and δ13C). These isotopic parameters have already been shown to record temperature and humidity variations in the Holocene tufas, proving their suitability as climatic proxies. This study focuses on two French Pleistocene sites, Caours and La Celle. Results are compared to palaeoenvironmental, especially malacological, data. This comparison shows that δ18O and δ13C in tufas are important proxies of palaeoclimatic variation during Pleistocene interglacials, just as they are during the Holocene.
La composition minéralogique des tufs calcaires, essentiellement constitués de CaCO3, permet l’utilisation d’indicateurs climatiques géochimiques et en particulier l’étude des isotopes stables de l’oxygène et du carbone (δ18O et δ13C). Ces derniers sont déjà bien connus dans les tufs holocènes comme marqueurs des variations de température et d’humidité. L’analyse des isotopes stables a été réalisée ici sur les séquences de tuf pléistocènes de Caours (SIM 5e, Somme) et de La Celle (SIM 11, Seine et Marne). Les résultats de cette étude géochimique ont été comparés aux données paléoenvironnementales, notamment malacologiques. Ces premières analyses montrent que, comme dans le cas des tufs holocènes, les variations des isotopes stables du carbone et de l’oxygène dans les tufs pléistocènes constituent des indicateurs fiables des variations climatiques au cours des interglaciaires pléistocènes.
Impacto humano en un medio altimontano pre-pirenaico durante los últimos 1500 años. Análisis paleoambiental de una turbera alcalina
by GIAP Landscape Archaeology Research Group
Ejarque, A.; Julià, R.; Orengo, H.A.; Palet, J.M. & Riera, S. 2011. 'Impacto humano en un medio altimontano pre-pirenaico durante los últimos 1500 años. Análisis paleoambiental de una turbera alcalina' in V. Turu & A. Constante (Eds.) El cuaternario en España y áreas afines, avances en 2011. Actas de la XIII Reunión Nacional de Cuaternario. Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario (AEQUA): 81-84.
'Cambios ambientales altimontanos en los Pirineos orientales durante el Holoceno: el valle del Madriu-Perafita-Claror (Andorra). Estudio paleoambiental y arqueológico
by GIAP Landscape Archaeology Research Group
Riera, S.; Ejarque, A.; Miras, Y.; Orengo, H.A.; Palet, J.M. & Julià, R. 2011. 'Cambios ambientales altimontanos en los Pirineos orientales durante el Holoceno: el valle del Madriu-Perafita-Claror (Andorra). Estudio paleoambiental y arqueológico' in V. Turu & A. Constante (Eds.) El cuaternario en España y áreas afines, avances en 2011. Actas de la XIII Reunión Nacional de Cuaternario. Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario (AEQUA): 77-80.
Centuriación del territorio y modelación del paisaje en los llanos litorales de Barcino y Tarraco. Una investigación Interdisciplinar a través de la integración de datos arqueomorfológicos y paleoambientales
by GIAP Landscape Archaeology Research Group
Palet Martínez, J.M.; Orengo, H.A. & Riera Mora, S. 2011. ‘Centuriación del territorio y modelación del paisaje en los llanos litorales de Barcino (Barcelona) y Tarraco (Tarragona): una investigación interdisciplinar a través de la integración de datos arqueomorfológicos y paleoambientales’ Agri Centuriati. International Journal of Landscape Archaeology, 7 (2010): 113-129.
