| Title: |
Charcoal analysis, with particular reference to archaeological sites in Britain |
| Biblio Note |
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: |
Report
|
| Abstract: |
Data from 236 archaeological sites in England, Scotland and Wales are used to build the foundations of a standard methodology for charcoal identification and interpretation. Sampling methods are examined, and a computer-based key for native woody plants (and some introduced species) was constructed to aid identification of archaeological charcoals. Results are compared by histograms, presence analysis and multivariate analysis and the broad pattern is found to display little variation in relation to archaeological period or context type. The importance of this is considered in terms of a simple fuel selection:availability hypothesis. Compared to pollen or molluscan analysis, charcoal is shown to be insensitive to changes in woodland distribution and type. There are, however, indications of local environmental influences in the occurrence of some less commonly recorded taxa. The distribution of certain species in relation to their known history and ecology illustrates the value of large-scale charcoal evidence for reconstructing woodland history. |
| Author: |
Carole Keepax
|
| Year of Publication: |
1988
|
| Source: |
BIAB
(The British Archaeological Bibliography (BAB))
|
| Created Date: |
21 Jan 2002 |
