Down By the River

Archaeological, Palaeoenvironmental and Geoarchaeological Investigations of The Suffolk River Valleys

East Anglia has long been known for its internationally significant cultural and environmental Palaeolithic archaeology, often overshadowing the potential of its Holocene resource. This volume details the results of 8 years of palaeoenvironmental, archaeological and geoarchaeological investigations focused on the post-glacial history and evolution of the Suffolk river valleys, funded by Historic England and a number of commercial developers. The volume illustrates the largely untapped research potential of the region and provides information concerning the timing, pattern and process of alluvial development, landscape change, and human activity. The highlight of these investigations was the excavation and associated analyses of three well-preserved later prehistoric timber alignments and their environmental records, discovered during flood alleviation works on the floodplain of the lower Waveney Valley. As well as documenting these internationally significant remains, the research described includes innovative approaches to wetland archaeological and palaeoenvironmental study, highlighting important methodological considerations with respect to radiocarbon dating and chronology, applying novel geophysical approaches to site prospection,
and recording wooden artefacts using 3-D laser scanning.

The volume also discusses the results of groundwater monitoring of sediments containing the late prehistoric timber alignment at Beccles and considers the longer-term preservation potential of these fragile remains, which – as with other wetland archaeological sites – are at ever increasing risk from development pressures, as well as the longer term impacts of climate and environmental change.