Young, D. and Batchelor, C. R. (2018). LAND ADJACENT TO PEARSON HOUSE, EDINBURGH GATE, HARLOW, ESSEX Environmental Archaeological Assessment Report. University of Reading: Quaternary Scientific (Quest). https://doi.org/10.5284/1076665. Cite this using datacite

Title The title of the publication or report Title:	LAND ADJACENT TO PEARSON HOUSE, EDINBURGH GATE, HARLOW, ESSEX Environmental Archaeological Assessment Report
Series The series the publication or report is included in Series:	Quaternary Scientific (Quest) unpublished report series
Downloads Any files associated with the publication or report that can be downloaded from the ADS Downloads:	quaterna1-317077_2.pdf (3 MB) : Download
Licence Type ADS, CC-BY 4.0 or CC-BY 4.0 NC. Licence Type:	ADS Terms of Use and Access
DOI The DOI (digital object identifier) for the publication or report. DOI	https://doi.org/10.5284/1076665
Publication Type The type of publication - report, monograph, journal article or chapter from a book Publication Type:	Report (in Series)
Abstract The abstract describing the content of the publication or report Abstract:	A programme of environmental archaeological assessment was undertaken at the Pearson House site. The results of the deposit modelling indicate that the site lies towards the edge of the floodplain and the edge of a former channel, the main axis of which probably traverses the north-western area of the site. Overlying the bedrock is a sequence of probably Late Devensian Gravel, Holocene alluvium and modern Made Ground. The alluvial sequence consists of a tripartite sequence of sandy Lower Alluvium, Organic Clay, and the clay-rich Upper Alluvium. Significantly, the organic unit at the site is indicative of a transition towards semi-terrestrial (marshy) conditions. It is generally present at elevations between ca. 38.5 and 35.5m OD, in thicknesses of between 2.6 and 0.18m. Radiocarbon dating of the base of the Organic Clay in borehole WS16 has provided a Late Roman/Early Medieval age for the onset of organic accumulation. The results of the pollen assessment are consistent with this age for the sequence; an open environment dominated by herbaceous taxa is indicated, with limited trees and shrubs and indications of human activity in the form of disturbance and/or cultivation indicators, including cereals. The floodplain environment is likely to have been relatively damp, dominated by sedge fen or reed swamp type vegetation. The pollen assemblage is relatively consistent throughout the Organic Clay and is poorly preserved. In addition, no identifiable macrofossil remains were found within the organic unit in WS16. On this basis, no further palaeoenvironmental analysis of the sequence is recommended. As stated in Young (2018), from an archaeological perspective, the site's location towards the margins of the floodplain (and potentially a former channel) suggest that the archaeological potential is considered to be limited to where the Gravel surface lies above ca. 37m OD.
Author The authors of this publication or report Author:	Daniel Young C R Batchelor
Publisher The publisher of the publication or report Publisher:	Quaternary Scientific (Quest)
Other Person/Org Other people or organisations for this publication or report Other Person/Org:	Historic England (OASIS Reviewer) Essex County Council Historic Environment (OASIS Reviewer)
Year of Publication The year the book, article or report was published Year of Publication:	2018
Locations Any locations covered by the publication or report. This is not the place the book or report was published. Locations:	Site: Land adjacent to Pearson House County: Essex District: Harlow Parish: HARLOW Country: England Grid Reference: 544908, 211265 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods Subjects / Periods associated with this record. Subjects / Periods:	EARLY MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods) PEAT (Monus) ROMAN (Historic England Periods) PEAT (Monus)
Identifiers Identifiers associated with the publication. These might include DOIs, site codes, Monument Identifiers etc. Identifiers:	OASIS Id: quaterna1-317077 OBIB: Quaternary Scientific (QUEST) Unpublished Report July 2018; Project Number 044/18 ©
Source Where the record has come from or which dataset it was orginally included in. Source:	OASIS (OASIS)
Relations Other resources which are relevant to this publication or report Relations:
Created Date The date the record of the pubication was first entered Created Date:	30 Apr 2020

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