An assessment of the potential and character of the
palaeoenvironmental and geoarchaeological resource of Suffolk River
valleys affected by aggregate extraction
The potential of the floodplains of lowland river valleys for
the preservation of palaeoenvironmental and archaeological material
has been well established by a range of projects over the past ten
years
(for
example in the Trent Valley, see
http://www.tvg.org.uk/).
In such systems, the accumulations of fine-grained sediment
through processes including overbank sedimentation and the
formation of floodplain peat can result in the burial and
preservation of archaeological remains. The sediments
themselves can preserve evidence of past environments (pollen,
insect and plant macrofossils) which provide a valuable
context for the cultural remains, which is generally lacking
on dryland sites. However, a range of factors including
development, agriculture, water and aggregate extraction
threatens many of these floodplain deposits. Gravel extraction
is an especial threat in Suffolk, with extant permissions for
the River Gipping, and ongoing extraction at Flixton on the
River Waveney, Fornham, Lackford, Cavenham and Worlington on
the River Lark. The Suffolk River Valleys Project is a
response to this threat from the Archaeological Service in
partnership with the University of Birmingham and funded by
the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) administered by
English Heritage. The project, which began in May 2006, will
run until early 2007 and aims to:
- Review and collate the published and ‘grey’ literature for
archaeological and palaeoenvironmental study in the Suffolk river
valleys
- Assess the utility of LiDAR for characterising the development
of selected floodplain reaches
- Generate baseline data for addressing the geomorphological
character of selected Suffolk river valley floors and to assess the
potential of sediments for the preservation of both archaeological
and palaeoenvironmental material
- Assess the potential threat of groundwater changes on the
historic environment and associated sediments
For more information download the
preliminary
Project Outline (.pdf file, size 103kb) or the full
Project Design (.pdf file, size 473kb)
or contact:
Edward Martin,
Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service,
Shire Hall
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 2AR
Telephone: 01284 352442
Email:
edward.martin@suffolk.gov.uk
Click
here for further information about Aggregates Levy
Sustainability Fund projects administered by English
Heritage