Evaluating and enhancing the geoarchaeological resource of the Lower Severn Valley
Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Gloucestershire County Council, University of Birmingham, University of Southampton, 2011. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000179. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Gloucestershire County Council, Worcestershire County Council unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Primary contact
Robin
Jackson
Project manager
Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service
Woodbury
Worcester University
Henwick Grove, Worcester
WR2 6AJ
England
Tel: 01905 855401
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 1053
- ALSF Project Number: 5725
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000179
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
Since the inception of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in 2002, a number of projects have demonstrated the great value of understanding the evolution of terrestrial English river valleys. Understanding of these valleys is essential to elucidate, explore and effectively manage their associated cultural landscapes which have been, and continue to be, heavily affected by mineral extraction. Such understanding has been considerably developed through the trialling and testing of a range of airborne and ground based remote sensing (LiDAR, IFSAR, Casi, ATM, GPR, ERGI), invasive sampling and geochronological (OSL, AAR, radiocarbon) methodologies which are especially suited to the investigation of river valley landscapes.
This corpus of applied research has all been undertaken in large river valleys such as the Trent and Till-Tweed which are dominated by highly mobile, gravel bed river systems. In contrast, the River Severn, one of the last major valley floors to still hold significant aggregate resources, is somewhat different having remained relatively stable within its floodplain and developed largely through vertical accretion of fine grained sediments.
The Severn Geoarchaeology Project was consequently developed in recognition of the fact that investigative techniques, geoarchaeological mapping and models of development established for other river catchments might not necessarily be effective or applicable within the active gravel extraction landscapes of the Lower Severn Valley. Investigative techniques and models of development were therefore identified for testing within this particular river valley. This was with the specific intention that successful techniques and models identified might then be reliably and consistently used in the future to underpin archaeological input to regional mineral development frameworks (LDFs), as well as within development briefs and resultant curatorial and commercial archaeological responses to individual aggregate applications.
The importance of such methodological development, and resultant improved baseline information, for the Severn Valley had been demonstrated over several years prior to the project's inception by several instances where PPG16 Assistance had been required to support mitigation work relating to commercial mineral extraction programmes. The provision of consistent, proportionate, readily applicable and evidence-based approaches to archaeological investigation and mitigation is seen as a primary requirement within the Mineral Extraction and Archaeology: A Practice Guide, the importance of which is in turn reflected in guidance accompanying Planning Policy Statement 5.
The Severn Geoarchaeology Project was therefore developed and targeted to help delivery of these approaches within the Lower Severn. Further, this work has generic application to other river systems of similar character found elsewhere in the Midlands and southern England and thus will have use beyond the Severn catchment.
