Crowther, J. (2002). The experimental earthwork at Wareham, Dorset after 33 years:. J Archaeol Sci 29 (4). Vol 29(4), pp. 405-411.
 Title The title of the publication or report |
The experimental earthwork at Wareham, Dorset after 33 years: | |||||
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Subtitle The sub title of the publication or report |
retention and leaching of phosphate released in the decomposition of buried bone | |||||
Issue The name of the volume or issue |
J Archaeol Sci 29 (4) | |||||
Series The series the publication or report is included in |
Journal of Archaeological Science | |||||
Volume Volume number and part |
29 (4) | |||||
Page Start/End The start and end page numbers. |
405 - 411 | |||||
Biblio Note This is a Bibliographic record only. |
Please note that this is a bibliographic record only, as originally entered into the BIAB database. The ADS have no files for download, and unfortunately cannot advise further on where to access hard copy or digital versions. | |||||
Publication Type The type of publication - report, monograph, journal article or chapter from a book |
Journal | |||||
Abstract The abstract describing the content of the publication or report |
Reports the thirty-three-year section of the Wareham Experimental Earthwork, which provided a unique opportunity to investigate the retention and leaching of phosphate released as bone rapidly decomposes in a lowland heath environment. The soils are extremely acidic, sandy, Fe-deficient podzols, with naturally very low, though variable, phosphate concentrations. Phosphate released from bone buried (i) on the old ground surface beneath the bank (`turf environment') and (ii) within the sands of the bank (`sand environment') was found to have leached very rapidly. Indeed, only one of 200 samples from the two burial environments shows signs of phosphate enrichment. The higher rate of bone decomposition recorded in the sand than in the turf environment in previous excavations of the Earthwork is attributed to more active leaching in the better-drained sands. The discovery in the present excavation of one relatively well-preserved piece of bone in the sand environment suggests that certain micro-environments within the sand matrix are more favourable for bone preservation, presumably because of reduced rates of water seepage and/or less acidic conditions. The implications of these findings for soil phosphate studies and bone preservation in acid heathland soils are discussed, and comparisons made with results from the thirty-two-year section of the chalk downland Earthwork at Overton Down. | |||||
Year of Publication The year the book, article or report was published |
2002 | |||||
Locations Any locations covered by the publication or report. This is not the place the book or report was published. |
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Source Where the record has come from or which dataset it was orginally included in. |
BIAB
(The British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB))
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Created Date The date the record of the pubication was first entered |
17 Jul 2002 |
