Archaeological Potential of Cave and Fissure Deposits in Limestone
Archaeological Research and Consultancy at the University of Sheffield: ARCUS, 2011. https://doi.org/10.5284/1011893. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 1119
- ALSF Project Number: 4996
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1011893
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
Archaeologists and environmental scientists the world over have long recognized the significant role that limestone caves and fissures play in the preservation of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental remains. But what of the conservation of these sites when they lie in the path of nationally important industries, such as limestone quarrying? Were it not for the quarrying of limestone for the aggregates industry, chemical purposes or building stone, many significant caves with archaeological deposits would never have been discovered. However, quarry operations can be as destructive as they are revealing. This report presents the results of research into the known archaeology of limestone cavities discovered in the context of quarrying in the Carboniferous and Magnesian limestone of northern central England. In particular, it examines current archaeological strategies to assess and mitigate the loss of such sites and makes recommendations about assessing the archaeological resource in the context of quarry developments.
