A landscape archaeological study of the Mesolithic Neolithic in the milfield basin, Northumberland
The primary objective of this thesis is the construction of a landscape-scale synthesis of past human behaviour during the Mesolithic-Neolithic in the Milfield Basin, Northumberland. Previous archaeological studies in this area have been dominated by site-based research with little account taken of the wider landscape setting, settlement patterns and land-use strategies. To acquire the appropriate 'landscape' (off-site) data this study has included a fieldwork component consisting of a 7km sampling transect which extended across the interfluve from watershed to watershed and sampled all the different environmental zones of the basin. This area, of nearly 6 million square metres, was systematically fieldwalked, geomorphologically mapped and test-pitted. A total of 146 test pits were opened to sample the subsurface lithic content and sediment stratigraphy of each of the different geomorphological slope types. The subsequent data was analysed in a G.I.S. environment and interpreted in combination with published palynological data, existing site-based archaeological data including the author's recent excavations at the Coupland complex. The method of acquiring, analysing and interpreting the fieldwalking data
Waddington, Clive
Archaeology
A landscape archaeological study of the Mesolithic Neolithic in the milfield basin, Northumberland. The primary objective of this thesis is the construction of a landscape-scale synthesis of past human behaviour during the Mesolithic-Neolithic in the Milfield Basin, Northumberland. Previous archaeological studies in this area have been dominated by site-based research with little account taken of the wider landscape setting, settlement patterns and land-use strategies. To acquire the appropriate 'landscape' (off-site) data this study has included a fieldwork component consisting of a 7km sampling transect which extended across the interfluve from watershed to watershed and sampled all the different environmental zones of the basin. This area, of nearly 6 million square metres, was systematically fieldwalked, geomorphologically mapped and test-pitted. A total of 146 test pits were opened to sample the subsurface lithic content and sediment stratigraphy of each of the different geomorphological slope types. The subsequent data was analysed in a G.I.S. environment and interpreted in combination with published palynological data, existing site-based archaeological data including the author's recent excavations at the Coupland complex. The method of acquiring, analysing and interpreting the fieldwalking data
landscape archaeological_study mesolithic_neolithic basin northumberland primary_objective construction landscape scale synthesis past_human behaviour mesolithic_neolithic basin northumberland previous archaeological study_area dominate site based little account take wider_landscape setting settlement_pattern land_use strategy acquire appropriate landscape off_site data study include fieldwork component consist sample transect extend across watershed watershed sample different_environmental zone basin area nearly million square systematically map test total test pit open sample subsurface lithic content sediment stratigraphy different geomorphological slope type subsequent data_analyse gis environment interpret combination publish palynological data exist site based archaeological_data include author recent_excavation complex method acquire analyse_interpret fieldwalking data