Predicting archaeo-colluvium on the Berkshire Downs
A new and relatively unexplored source of archaeological and environmental information on the Chalkland are the sediments of dry valleys. From relatively recent studies these deposits have been shown to be the product of ancient land use and soil loss and a rich repository of both primary and archaeological material. There have, however, been no attempts to determine the spatial distribution of this class of ancient valley deposit - for the purpose of this project termed archaeo-colluvium. The study focuses on the north-west part of the Berkshire Downs (58km<sup>2</sup>), a landscape of both chalk and superficial drift deposits, which together with relict ancient fields, lynchets and settlement features offered a suitable area in which to develop and test a method for predicting the distribution of these deposits. The project uses a multi-disciplinary approach which combines the traces of ancient arable (Celtic fields), some topographic parameters and assumptions about past soils, erosion regimes, and colluvial preservation in the development a GIS-based predictive model for the distribution of archaeo-colluvium within this study region. Following the production of a map of predicted sites, archaeo-colluvium
Day, Christopher A.
Archaeological geology ; Colluvium ; Land use ; Antiquities ; England ; Berkshire Downs ; Berkshire Downs (England)
Predicting archaeo-colluvium on the Berkshire Downs. A new and relatively unexplored source of archaeological and environmental information on the Chalkland are the sediments of dry valleys. From relatively recent studies these deposits have been shown to be the product of ancient land use and soil loss and a rich repository of both primary and archaeological material. There have, however, been no attempts to determine the spatial distribution of this class of ancient valley deposit - for the purpose of this project termed archaeo-colluvium. The study focuses on the north-west part of the Berkshire Downs (58km<sup>2</sup>), a landscape of both chalk and superficial drift deposits, which together with relict ancient fields, lynchets and settlement features offered a suitable area in which to develop and test a method for predicting the distribution of these deposits. The project uses a multi-disciplinary approach which combines the traces of ancient arable (Celtic fields), some topographic parameters and assumptions about past soils, erosion regimes, and colluvial preservation in the development a GIS-based predictive model for the distribution of archaeo-colluvium within this study region. Following the production of a map of predicted sites, archaeo-colluvium
predicting archaeo berkshire new relatively_unexplored source archaeological environmental information sediment dry valley relatively_recent study deposit show product ancient land_use soil loss rich repository primary archaeological_material however attempt_determine spatial_distribution class ancient valley deposit purpose_project term archaeo study_focus north_west part berkshire landscape chalk superficial drift deposit together relict ancient field settlement feature offer suitable area develop test method predict distribution deposit project use multi_disciplinary combine trace ancient arable celtic field topographic parameter assumption past soil erosion regime preservation development gis_based predictive_model distribution archaeo within study region following production map predict site archaeo