Transition Zone Mapping for Marine-Terrestrial Archaeological Continuity (Contiguous Palaeo-Landscape Reconstruction)
Richard Bates, Martin Bates, Justin Dix, Tim Henstock, 2009. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000072. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Dr Richard Bates unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Primary contact
Dr
Richard
Bates
Senior Lecturer
University of St Andrews
School of Geography and Geosciences
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9AJ
UK
Tel: 01334 463997
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 915
- ALSF Project Number: 4632
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000072
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
Despite their radically different present day environmental circumstances, marine and terrestrial archaeological remains provide a seamless physical and intellectual continuum. As a result of coastal change, some originally terrestrial sites are now submerged and some marine sites are now on land; other sites have ambivalent settings, being situated in the inter-tidal zone and enjoying marine and dry land environments sequentially; and others extend from dry land into the sea. The current shoreline therefore has little context in palaeo-archaeological reconstruction.
The primary objective of this project was to produce a contiguous palaeo-landscape reconstruction across the marine to terrestrial boundary therefore enhancing the archaeological continuity across space and through time within an area of landscape previously examined through a series a stand-alone investigations. The project attempted to do this by undertaking the following key sub-tasks:
- Evaluation of Methodologies for mapping contiguous landscapes - review of the methods for mapping palaeo-landscapes from the land (including river catchments) to the marine (up to 12 mile territorial waters) environment across the transition zone with no data gaps. This also included a review of the capabilities within UK industry for addressing mapping in this zone.
- Construction of a 3D palaeo-landscape models - the construction of a series of full 3D palaeo-landscape models based on existing land and marine data through the transition zone in an area of high archaeological value through to areas that are currently being exploited for aggregate resources.
- Result dissemination/public outreach - to provide through dedicated workshops the new methodologies to the aggregate community for adoption within their development programmes. to complete peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.
A successful review was undertaken of methodologies remotely mapping across the transition zone together with a review of the major contracting companies and their capabilities to undertake investigations in the transition zone.
The project identified a cost effect suite of programmes for the storage, analysis and presentation of data across the transition zone. Furthermore, the project demonstrated that not only enhanced 3D understanding could be gained of the zone but that additional significant insight could be gained of both the marine and terrestrial sequences. It was demonstrated that terrestrial to marine continuity is essential to understanding fully both sequences. In particular this is relevant as different parts of the greater landscape are preserved in the two different settings.
A test model was established for the project in the Sussex area (offshore Selsey between the Arun and Chichester). The model was populated with readily available information (both free and commercially available). From the model a number of key horizons were mapped, namely the topography-bathymetry surface and the sediment/bedrock surface. No further subdivision of the sedimentary sequence was possible for the whole area as the offshore detail was not great enough in either depth or space.
Despite the general lack of information, which is quite typical for most offshore areas around the coast of the UK, it was possible to establish key archaeological zones offshore that could be compared to archaeological zones onshore. The establishment of these zones and the continuity across the transition zone is important for contextualising archaeology and for aggregate development.
The digital archive
The digital archive currently consists of the following resources:
- Bates,M.R., Bates,C.R. and Dix,J. 2008: Contiguous Palaeo-Landscape Reconstruction (Transition Zone Mapping for Marine-Terrestrial Archaeological Continuity). Final Report For English Heritage, MALSF Project Number 4632MAIN
Non-digital Archive and Publications
In addition to the reports contained within the digital archive the project also produced the following outputs:
| Literary Outputs |
|---|
| Bates,M.R., Bates,C.R. and Briant,R.M. 2007. Bridging the gap: a terrestrial view of shallow marine sequences and the importance of the transition zone. Journal of Archaeological Science 34, 1537-1551. |
| Bates,M.R., Bates,C.R. and Whittaker,J.E. 2007. Mixed method approaches to the investigation and mapping of buried Quaternary deposits: examples from Southern England. Archaeological Prospection 14, 104-129. |
