Palaeoenvironmental investigations of the River Chelmer, Chelmsford, Essex, UK,

K. Krawiec, E. Hopla, P. Grinter, David Smith, P. Marshall, T. Hill, B. Gearey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The value of understanding the landscape context within which sites of human occupation are situated is key to understanding their function and locality. The recovery of a borehole adjacent to the current course of the river Chelmer during the replacement of the existing A138 Chelmer Viaduct and river bridge allowed
the palaeoenvironmental analysis and radiocarbon dating of floodplain sediments. The results of which demonstrated that woodland clearance and possible exploitation of the valley floor were occurring by early Bronze Age, despite a lack of archaeological evidence for settlement at this time. The nearby
sites of Springfield Lyons and Great Baddow demonstrate a lack of human activity in this period although unexcavated cropmark evidence from within the wider valley may yet demonstrate the presence of earlier human activity. This study demonstrates the potential of the Chelmer valley to preserve palaeoenvironmental records and potentially for the preservation of archaeological sites in the floodplain deposits.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-73
JournalJournal of Wetland Archaeology
Volume17
Issue number1
Early online date2 Nov 2017
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2 Nov 2017

Keywords

  • chelmer
  • alluvium
  • bronze age
  • floodplain
  • human activity

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