Lithics 19

Archaeological sites preserved deep within the alluvium are commonly difficult to locate due to the thick nature of the stratigraphical record of such regions. Conventional methods of archaeological evaluation are inappropriate for such areas and novel methodologies, such as the use of boreholes to model sub-surface stratigraphical architecture, are required to aid evaluation. In order to determine the archaeological significance of the stratigraphical record preserved in such areas the nature of the archaeological signal needs to be determined in addition to attaining an understanding of the sedimentological history of the area. In this paper a model for sequence generation within a large, lowland river system in southern England is proposed and tested against sub-surface data from the north bank of the river Thames. This approach allows zones of archaeological potential to be determined and calibrated by reference to extant age estimates.

Discusses the value systems relating to archaeological remains in Britain. The legal context is considered briefly, and the three main components to the present value system, as identified by Darvill, are set out. Surface lithic scatters are an example of a site type that is poorly recorded and understood at a general level, but is nonetheless immensely significant to our understanding of the past. This poor understanding makes it difficult to ascribe value and implement procedures which rely on value judgments. This paper addresses questions concerning the attribution of value to lithic scatters through local and national perspectives. The local perspective '“ based on work and experiences in Oxfordshire '“ describes how lithic scatter sites can be accommodated through development control procedures. This is followed by a short summary of a national review, which aims to improve understanding at a local and a national level. LD

The Yarnton--Cassington project, initiated because of gravel extraction, is located in an area eight kilometres north of Oxford, on the edge of a gravel terrace overlooking the northern floodplain of the river Thames. Rescue excavation began in 1989-90 within an area of dense Iron Age, Roman and Saxon settlement features. A fieldwalking programme across 182 hectares, within and beyond the extraction area, aimed primarily to assess the extent of the arable fields of the Roman settlement, so the recovery of Neolithic and Bronze Age lithic scatters during the exercise came as a surprise. Evaluation and excavation over the last seven years has investigated these scatters further, and some provisional answers to questions addressed by the project are beginning to emerge. The Yarnton flints found their way to the surface mainly because sites were ploughed, not in the recent past, but in the Roman period. Subsequent alluvial deposition covered Roman fields and protected the early sites; deeper ploughing in the latter part of the 20th century has brought flints from the Roman ploughsoils up to the present surface. Although the flint scatters did indicate that sites lay beneath, there was no precise correlation between the location of the scatters and the densest concentration of features. This may suggest either that flint was deliberately removed from settlement sites, or that flint production and, possibly, selected use took place in off-site locations. LD

The Oxford Archaeological Unit undertook a two-stage evaluation in 1995 on land at the former Esso oil depot immediately south of the Purfleet Bypass, Purfleet, Thurrock. The work formed part of a programme of archaeological investigation along the line of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL). An introductory section to the paper mentions the particular difficulties of assessing areas of Palaeolithic archaeology. The geological and archaeological background to the area are set out, and the thirteen principal aims for the evaluation are listed. The methods employed for a borehole investigation and a test pit investigation are then described. The results are summarised and the earlier Palaeolithic flint assemblage recovered is described and discussed. A concluding section includes discussion of the significance of the deposits identified. The CTRL corridor is an area that forms an integral part of a complex of national importance for its Pleistocene and Palaeolithic interest. Whilst actual in situ Palaeolithic remains have not been identified here or elsewhere within the deposits at Purfleet, the freshness of the flintwork recovered and the presence of potentially suitable sedimentary contexts leaves this as a possibility. LD

Discusses approaches to the recording and assessment of lithics from evaluations. The results of three evaluations by the Oxford Archaeological Unit at sites in Oxfordshire (Yarnton, Kidlington, and New Plantation, Tubney) are presented and discussed. These case studies demonstrate the usefulness of the evaluation as a field technique for identifying earlier prehistoric sites and recovering lithics. The lithic component could be seen to have helped the evaluation process by providing a reasonably accurate picture of the lithics present. However, this is not always the case '“ many sites excavated on the basis of a lithic scatter identified during evaluation have produced only limited or no further archaeological remains upon excavation. It is still difficult during an evaluation to understand the nature of the remains encountered. LD