Abstract
This chapter represents work carried out by Wessex Archaeology (Coastal and Marine) that relates to the identification, assessment and interpretation of new archaeological and paleoenvironmental material from offshore environments whilst working cooperatively with heritage managers and industry in the UK. It shares the authors’ experience of understanding and defining the significance or importance of natural and cultural deposits offshore through examples, beginning with projects funded through the Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, as described by Bicket (Geophys J Int 178: 14–22, 2011). Secondly, the authors present an updated case study from Area 240, a Paleolithic site from the UK continental shelf, as described by Tizzard et al. (Submerged Prehistory, 2011). Finally, the authors discuss the topic of how to define archaeological significance of natural deposits found in situ in the marine environment. In this respect, we contribute to the international discussion concerning the challenges presented to heritage managers and researchers alike.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
References
Arthurton, R. S., Booth, S. J., Morigi, A. N., Abbott, M. A. W., & Wood, C. J. (1994). Geology of the country around Great Yarmouth. London: HMSO.
Arnott, S. H. L., Leivers, M., Pascoe, D., Davidson, S., & Baggaley, P. A. (2011). EECMHM Archaeological Characterisation Use Many Times: Archaeological Interpretation of Eastern English Channel Datasets, MEPF 09/P118.
Bailey, G., 2004. The wider significance of submerged archaeological sites and their relevance to world prehistory. In: N.C. Flemming, ed. Submarine prehistoric archaeology of the North Sea. Research Priorities and Collaboration with Industry. CBA Research.
Bailey, G. N., & Flemming, N. C. (2008). Archaeology of the continental shelf: Marine resources, submerged landscapes and underwater archaeology. Quaternary Science Reviews, 27, 2153–2135.
Behre, K.-E. (2007). A new Holocene sea-level curve for the southern North Sea. Boreas, 36, 82–102.
Bellamy, A. G. (1998). The UK marine sand and gravel dredging industry: An application of quaternary geology. In J.-P. Latham (Ed.), Advances in aggregates and armourstone evaluation (pp. 33–45). London: Geological Society.
Benjamin, J., Bonsall, C., Pickard, C., & Fischer, A. (Eds.). (2011). Submerged prehistory. Oxford: Oxbow.
Bicket, A. (2011). Submerged prehistory: Marine ALSF research in context. In J. Gardiner (Ed.), Marine ALSF Science Monograph Series No. 5. MEPF 10/P150. Edinburgh: Wessex Archaeology.
Bradley, S. L., Milne, G. A., Teferle, F. N., Bingley, R. M., & Orliac, E. J. (2009). Glacial isostatic adjustment of the British Isles: New constraints from GPS measurements of crustal motion. Geophysical Journal International, 178, 14–22.
Dawkins, W. B. (1870). On the discovery of flint and chert under a submerged forest in west Somerset. The Journal of Ethnological Society of London, 2(2), 141–146.
Dix, J. K., & Sturt, F. (2011). The relic palaeo-landscapes of the Thames estuary. MALSF 09/P126. Lowestoft: The Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund.
Emu Ltd. (2009). The outer Thames estuary regional environmental characterisation (p. 129). Lowestoft: The Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund.
Fairbanks, R. G. (1989). A 17,000-year glacio-eustatic sea level record: Influence of glacial melting rates on the Younger Dryas Event and deep-ocean circulation. Nature, 342, 637–642.
Firth, A. (2000). Development-led archaeology in coastal environments: Investigations at Queenborough, Motney Hill and Gravesend in Kent, UK. In K. Pye & J. Allen (Eds.), Coastal and estuarine environments: Sedimentology, geomorphology and geoarchaeology (Vol. 175, pp. 403–417). London: Geological Society Special Publications.
Firth, A. (2004). Prehistory in the North Sea: Questions from development-led archaeology. In N. C. Flemming (Ed.), Submarine prehistory of the North Sea (pp. 89–94). York: CBA Research Report 141.
Firth, A. (2011). Marine geophysics: Integrated approaches to sensing the seabed. In D. Cowley (Ed.), Remote sensing for archaeological heritage management (pp. 129–140). EAC Occasional Paper No. 5. Brussels: Europae Archaeologia Consilium.
Fischer, A. (1995). An entrance to the Mesolithic world below the ocean: Status of ten years’ work on the Danish sea floor. In A. Fischer (Ed.), Man and sea in the Mesolithic: Coastal settlement above and below present sea level (pp. 371–384). Oxford: Oxbow.
Fitch, S., & Gaffney, V. (2011). West coast palaeolandscapes project pilot study. Univeristy of Birmingham, Visual and Spatial Technology Centre. doi:10.5284/1000398 (last accessed 25/11/2013).
Flemming, N. C. (Ed.). (2004). Submarine prehistoric archaeology of the North Sea: Research priorities and collaboration with industry. York: CBA Research Report 141.
Gaffney, V., Fitch, S., & Smith, D. (2009). Europe’s lost world: the rediscovery of Doggerland. York: CBA Research Report 160.
Gaffney, V., Thomson, K., & Fitch, S. (Eds.). (2007). Mapping Doggerland: The mesolithic landscapes of the southern North Sea. Oxford: Archaeopress.
Gribble, J., & Leather, S. (2011). Offshore geotechnical investigations and historic environment analysis: Guidance for the renewable energy sector (GEOARCH-09). London: COWRIE.
Gupta, S., Collier, J., Palmer-Felgate, A., Dickinson, J., Bushe, K., & Humber, S. (2004). Submerged Palaeo-Arun river: Reconstruction of prehistoric landscapes and evaluation of archaeological resource potential. Integrated projects 1 and 2. London: Final Project Report for English Heritage, ALSF Reports 3277 and 3543.
Hosfield, R. T., & Chambers, J. C. (2004). The archaeological potential of secondary contexts. London: English Heritage Project Report Project No. 3361.
James, J. W. C., Pearce, B., Coggan, R. A., Arnott, S. H. L., Clark, R., Plim, J. F., Pinnion, J., Barrio Frójan, C., Gardiner, J. P., Morando, A., Baggaley, P. A., Scott, G., & Bigourdan, N. (2010). The south coast regional environmental characterisation. London: British Geological Survey Open Report OR/09/51.
James, J. W. C., Pearce, B., Coggan, R. A., Leivers, M., Clark, R. W. E., Plim, J. F., Hill, J. M., Arnott, S. H. L., Bateson, L., De-Burgh Thomas, A., & Baggaley, P. A. (2011). The MALSF synthesis study in the central and eastern English Channel (p. 159). London: British Geological Survey Open Report OR/11/01.
Lambeck, K. (1995). Late Devensian and Holocene shorelines of the British Isles and North Sea from models of glacio-hydro-isostatic rebound. Journal of the Geological Society, 152, 437–448.
Limpenny, S. E., Barrio-Froján, C., Cotterill, C., Foster-Smith, R. L., Pearce, B., Tizzard, L., Limpenny, D. L., Long, D., Walmsley, S., Kirby, S., Baker, K., Meadows, W. J., Rees, J., Hill, J., Wilson, C., Leivers, M., Churchley, S., Russell, J., Pacitto, S., & Law, R. (2011). The east coast regional environmental characterisation. London: Cefas Open Report 08/04.
Lübke, H., Schmölcke, U., & Tauber, F. (2011). Mesolithic hunter-fishers in a changing world: A case study of submerged sites on the Jäckelberg, Wismar Bay, northeastern Germany. In J. Benjamin, et al. (Eds.), Submerged prehistory (pp. 21–37). Oxford: Oxbow.
Maarleveld, T., & Peeters, H. (2004). Can we manage? In N. C. Flemming (Ed.), Submarine prehistory of the North Sea (pp. 102–112). York: CBA Research Report 141.
Momber, G. (2011). Submerged landscape excavations in the Solent, southern Britain: Climate change and cultural development. In J. Benjamin, et al. (Eds.), Submerged prehistory (pp. 85–98). Oxford: Oxbow.
Pryor, F. (2001). Seahenge: New discoveries in prehistoric Britain. London: HarperCollins.
Shennan, I., & Horton, B. (2002). Holocene land- and sea-level changes in Great Britain. Journal of Quaternary Science, 17, 511–526.
Shennan, I., Bradley, S., Milne, G., Brooks, A., Bassett, S., & Hamilton, S. (2006). Relative sea-level changes, glacial isostatic modelling and ice-sheet reconstructions from the British Isles since the last glacial maximum. Journal of Quaternary Science, 21, 585–599.
Smith, D. E., Davies, M. H., Brooks, C. L., Mighall, T. M., Dawson, S., Rea, B. R., Jordan, J. T., & Holloway, L. K. (2010). Holocene relative sea levels and related prehistoric activity in the Forth lowland, Scotland, United Kingdom. Quaternary Science Reviews, 29, 2382–2410.
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. (2011). The Humber regional environmental characterisation (p. 357). Keyworth: British Geological Survey Open Report OR/10/54.
Tizzard, L., Baggaley, P. A., & Firth, A. J. (2011). Seabed prehistory: Investigating palaeolandsurfaces with palaeolithic remains from the southern North Sea. In J. Benjamin, et al. (Eds.), Submerged prehistory (pp. 65–74). Oxford: Oxbow.
Wenban-Smith, F.F., 2002. Marine Aggregate Dredging and the Historic Environment: Palaeolithic and Mesolithic archaeology on the seabed. London: BMAPA and EH.
Wessex Archaeology. (2002). Great Yarmouth: Area 254. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology Unpublished Report 50482.
Wessex Archaeology. (2006). Area 451 grab sample assessment. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology Unpublished Report 63650.
Wessex Archaeology. (2009). Seabed prehistory: Gauging the effects of marine aggregate dredging—Vols. I–VIII. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology Unpublished Report 57422.
Wessex Archaeology. (2011). Seabed prehistory: Site evaluation techniques (Area 240)—Synthesis. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology Unpublished Report 70754.04.
Westley, K., Dix, J., & Quinn, R. (2004). A re-assessment of the archaeological potential of continental shelves. London: English Heritage Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Project 3362.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bicket, A., Firth, A., Tizzard, L., Benjamin, J. (2014). Heritage Management and Submerged Prehistory in the United Kingdom. In: Evans, A., Flatman, J., Flemming, N. (eds) Prehistoric Archaeology on the Continental Shelf. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9635-9_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9635-9_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9634-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9635-9
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)