J Archaeol Sci 3 (3)

A synoptic view and interpretation of archaeological material from the Mesolithic to the end of the Iron Age is viewed against the available palaeoenvironmental information. Mesolithic impact, though low, was not negligible; in Neolithic times the population was probably higher and the vegetation changes more extensive. By contrast the subsequent Bronze and Iron Ages were periods of considerable clearance of forest, soil-leaching increased, and monuments are plentiful. New data indicate a downward movement of Iron Age settlement, and Celtic fields are sparser than on other uplands in Britain. Certain parts of the moors show good promise for reconstructing prehistoric geography; remaining problems are noted for future work. Au(adp)

Two norms frequently used in archaeological seriation are compared. Although these norms are equivalent in some particular cases, this is not true in general both from a computational point of view and in the archaeological sense. Au

SU 100685. The mosses from the turf stack at the centre of the mound are mostly those typical of mature chalk grassland under moderate grazing (cf modern South Downs). The turf possibly came from a north-facing slope. This evidence agrees with that from the mollusca.

The species has turned up in two more Roman deposits from York and several others from medieval sites; it is in fact highly characteristic of medieval urban fauna.