| Abstract: |
Charles Thomas opens the volume (v-vii) by commenting on the very large and varied habitat available to humans in the southwest: we are moving towards a 'total palaeoenvironmental perception'. Martin Bell (1-8) writing on 'Recent molluscan studies in the south west' (Glos-Avon-Som-Devon-Cornwall) considers the sequence of environmental changes from wildwood through to man-made agricultural landscapes, plus the coastal dunes, and identifies key topics for further work. 'Non-domestic faunal resources in southwest England' are described by Jennie Coy (9-29): marine mollusca, fish, wild birds, and mammals could all be eaten. The need for sieving is stressed once again. Barbara Noddle (31-50) contributes 'Mammalian remains from the Cotswold region: a survey of the literature from Palaeolithic to Roman times, and a more detailed account of the larger domestic mammals from some recent Romano-British excavations'. Moving on to the medieval period, Bruce Levitan (51-80) takes a statistical approach to write on 'Medieval animal husbandry in south west England: a selective review and suggested approach': here is another neglected field where current work is spread too thinly. Resources might be concentrated on one city and its hinterland, with standardized data recording. C M Gerrard (81-7) offers 'A regional approach to faunal data', focusing on relations between settlements in late AS Somerset (pre-1974 boundaries). In 'Past and present local variability in environmental phenomena', David J Maguire (89-101) examines blanket peat deposits at the characteristic upland site of Broad Amicombe Hole on Dartmoor. Sheila M Ross & A Louise Heathwaite (103-14) make 'A comparison of qualitative and quantitative peat classifications for West Sedgemoor'. Peter Leach (115-24) considers 'The hinterland of Ilchester: archaeology, alluviation and the environment' and demonstrates the utility of studying sites preserved in floodplain deposits. In a return to 'Dozmary Pool, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall: a new radiocarbon dated pollen rofile', I G Simmons, Julia I Rand & Keith Crabtree (125-33) have demonstrated a major disturbance involving removal of peat and inversion of the profile on two occasions, which shows the need for extreme care in interpretation. Julie Jones & Nick Watson (135-62), in 'The early medieval waterfront at Redcliffe, Bristol: a study of environment and economy', describe work at Dundas Wharf, Bristol Bridge, and Canynges House which has provided information on tidal regimes, sediments, plant and animal remains, reasons for quay extensions, diet, crafts, etc. The last paper comes from N D Balaam, M G Bell, A E U David, B Levitan, R I Macphail, Mark Robinson & R G Scaife (163-266): in 'Prehistoric and Romano-British sites at Westward Ho!, Devon: archaeological and palaeo-environmental surveys 1983 and 1984' they examine the material from Ipswichian/Hoxnian to modern times, discussing survey and sampling, features (eg Meso shell midden), structures, RB estuarine deposits, sealevel change, etc, with substantial appendices on sediments, mollusca, vertebrates, pollen, plant macrofossils. insects, magnetic measurements, and flints. |
