Activities at Flixton Island : integrating scientific approaches for the study of early Mesolithic living at ephemeral sites
This thesis presents the novel analysis of the extensive lithic assemblage at the Early Mesolithic site of Flixton Island 2, Flixton, Yorkshire, and the geochemical analysis program carried out alongside that. The research project aimed to evaluate whether the use of several methods of analysis on sediments and lithics could produce a better understanding of activity areas and spatial patterning than had previously been achieved for Mesolithic dryland sites. A complementary case study was undertaken at Star Carr. More than 20,000 lithic artefacts were typologically analysed to define the nature of the Long Blade and Early Mesolithic lithics assemblages from Flixton Island 2. Sediment samples associated with the Mesolithic lithics assemblage were analysed using general geochemical tests (colour and texture assessment, pH, calcium carbonate presence, and phosphate presence) alongside elemental characterisation using inductively-coupled plasma atomic-emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Spatial statistical methods were applied to explore and analyse the data. At the more ephemeral of the two sites, Flixton Island 2, the use of both artefact analysis and geochemical analysis
Rowley, Charlotte Catherine Aneliese
Activities at Flixton Island : integrating scientific approaches for the study of early Mesolithic living at ephemeral sites. This thesis presents the novel analysis of the extensive lithic assemblage at the Early Mesolithic site of Flixton Island 2, Flixton, Yorkshire, and the geochemical analysis program carried out alongside that. The research project aimed to evaluate whether the use of several methods of analysis on sediments and lithics could produce a better understanding of activity areas and spatial patterning than had previously been achieved for Mesolithic dryland sites. A complementary case study was undertaken at Star Carr. More than 20,000 lithic artefacts were typologically analysed to define the nature of the Long Blade and Early Mesolithic lithics assemblages from Flixton Island 2. Sediment samples associated with the Mesolithic lithics assemblage were analysed using general geochemical tests (colour and texture assessment, pH, calcium carbonate presence, and phosphate presence) alongside elemental characterisation using inductively-coupled plasma atomic-emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Spatial statistical methods were applied to explore and analyse the data. At the more ephemeral of the two sites, Flixton Island 2, the use of both artefact analysis and geochemical analysis
activities island integrating scientific approach study early_mesolithic live ephemeral site present_novel analysis extensive lithic_assemblage early_mesolithic site island yorkshire geochemical_analysis program carry alongside that project_aim evaluate whether use several method analysis sediment lithics could_produce good activity_area spatial_pattern previously achieve mesolithic site complementary case_study undertake star lithic_artefact typologically analyse define nature long blade early mesolithic lithics assemblage island sediment sample associate mesolithic lithics assemblage_analyse use general geochemical test colour texture assessment calcium carbonate presence phosphate presence alongside elemental characterisation use inductively_coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy icp portable_x ray_fluorescence pxrf spatial statistical_method apply explore analyse_data ephemeral two_site island use artefact analysis geochemical_analysis