The impact of recent changes within the subsurface environment upon the integrity of buried wood : implications for the in situ preservation of archaeological timbers
Flag Fen, a Bronze Age archaeological site situated in the wetlands of East Anglia has been the subject of this research project. Multitudes of organic and inorganic artefacts have been preserved below the ground surface. Preservation is a consequence of the nature of the burial environment; that of a waterlogged anaerobic deposit, resulting from a high water table combined with soils with a capacity to absorb large volumes of water. Due to the vulnerability of this environment from anthropogenic activities in the area, such as drainage and sewage sludge disposal to land, a loss of archaeological evidence will be inevitable. Little is known of the factors that influence microbial decay of wood. The effect of contaminated groundwater upon the integrity of buried archaeological wood is therefore the subject of this project. A comprehensive water quality monitoring programme was conducted to determine the quality of groundwater at Flag Fen. Numerous methods were employed to determine the degradation of modern and archaeological timbers. A cursory analysis of soil type was undertaken at each burial site. The combination of these data was used to determine whether sewage contaminated groundwater has a detrimental
Powell, Karen Louisa
Archaeology
The impact of recent changes within the subsurface environment upon the integrity of buried wood : implications for the in situ preservation of archaeological timbers. Flag Fen, a Bronze Age archaeological site situated in the wetlands of East Anglia has been the subject of this research project. Multitudes of organic and inorganic artefacts have been preserved below the ground surface. Preservation is a consequence of the nature of the burial environment; that of a waterlogged anaerobic deposit, resulting from a high water table combined with soils with a capacity to absorb large volumes of water. Due to the vulnerability of this environment from anthropogenic activities in the area, such as drainage and sewage sludge disposal to land, a loss of archaeological evidence will be inevitable. Little is known of the factors that influence microbial decay of wood. The effect of contaminated groundwater upon the integrity of buried archaeological wood is therefore the subject of this project. A comprehensive water quality monitoring programme was conducted to determine the quality of groundwater at Flag Fen. Numerous methods were employed to determine the degradation of modern and archaeological timbers. A cursory analysis of soil type was undertaken at each burial site. The combination of these data was used to determine whether sewage contaminated groundwater has a detrimental
impact recent change within subsurface environment upon integrity bury wood implication situ preservation archaeological timber fen bronze_age archaeological_site situate wetland east_anglia subject project organic inorganic artefact preserve ground surface preservation consequence nature burial_environment waterlogged deposit result high water table combine soil capacity absorb large_volume water due vulnerability environment anthropogenic activity_area drainage disposal land loss archaeological_evidence inevitable little_known factor_influence microbial decay wood effect upon integrity bury archaeological wood therefore subject project comprehensive water quality monitoring programme conduct determine quality fen numerous method_employ determine degradation modern archaeological timber cursory analysis soil type undertaken burial_site combination data_use determine_whether detrimental