Living with the Flood
Mesolithic to post-medieval archaeological remains at Mill Lane, Sawston, Cambridgeshire - a wetland/dryland interface
Published on 30. November 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
128 pages
978-1-78297-966-1 (ISBN)
Description
The site at Mill Lane, Sawston, represents millennia of human activity within a dynamic and changing landscape setting. River valleys have been a focus for human activity since the early Holocene and, in addition to providing abundant archaeological evidence for this activity, the proximity to water also highlights the potential for the preservation of both archaeological remains and palaeoenvironmental source material. However, human activity within river valleys also commonly bridges areas of both wetland and dryland; ecological zones which are often approached using quite different archaeological methods and which present considerable differences in levels of archaeological visibility and preservation. The site at Mill Lane offered an uncommon opportunity to explore the interface between these two types of environment.
Here we present the results of the study of a wetland/dryland interface on the edge of palaeochannels of the River Cam in Cambridgeshire. Through the integrated archaeological and palaeoenvironmental analysis of a site on the western edge of Sawston, a detailed picture of life on the edge of the floodplain from the late glacial to the post-medieval periods has been developed. At the heart of this is the relationship between people and their changing environment, which reveals a shifting pattern of ritual, occupation and more transitory activity as the riparian landscape in a wooded setting became a wetland within a more openly grazed environment. The presence of potential built structures dating to the early Neolithic, the early Bronze Age and the early Anglo-Saxon periods provides some sense of continuity, although the nature of these structures and the environmental context within which they were constructed was very different.
Here we present the results of the study of a wetland/dryland interface on the edge of palaeochannels of the River Cam in Cambridgeshire. Through the integrated archaeological and palaeoenvironmental analysis of a site on the western edge of Sawston, a detailed picture of life on the edge of the floodplain from the late glacial to the post-medieval periods has been developed. At the heart of this is the relationship between people and their changing environment, which reveals a shifting pattern of ritual, occupation and more transitory activity as the riparian landscape in a wooded setting became a wetland within a more openly grazed environment. The presence of potential built structures dating to the early Neolithic, the early Bronze Age and the early Anglo-Saxon periods provides some sense of continuity, although the nature of these structures and the environmental context within which they were constructed was very different.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
colour and b/w illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 297 mm
Width: 210 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78297-966-1 (9781782979661)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Henry Chapman
Living with the Flood
Mesolithic to post-medieval archaeological remains at Mill Lane, Sawston, Cambridgeshire - a wetland/dryland interface
E-Book
11/2015
Oxbow Books
€14.49
Available for download
Henry Chapman
Living with the Flood
Mesolithic to post-medieval archaeological remains at Mill Lane, Sawston, Cambridgeshire - a wetland/dryland interface
E-Book
11/2015
OXBOW BOOKS
€14.49
Available for download
Persons
Samantha Paul is a Research Fellow in the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Birmingham. Her main interests lie mainly within the Iron Age, specifically looking at landscapes and how people lived, perceived and interacted with their environment. Kevin Colls is Archaeological Project Manager at the Centre of Archaeology, Staffordshire University. He has extensive experience of archaeological project management and his specialist subjects include field archaeological field techniques, urban and forensic archaeology. Henry Chapman is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Birmingham, UK. He is a landscape archaeologist with expertise across a wide range of dryland and wetland landscapes.
Content
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background to the project
1.2 Location, geology and preservation potential
1.3 Archaeological and historical background
1.4 Research context and aims
1.5 Structure of this book
Chapter 2: Methodologies
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Mapping aims onto methods
2.3 Methods
Chapter 3: The excavations
3.1 Introduction: phasing and chronology
3.2 Survival and preservation
3.3 Site narrative
3.4 Summary
Chapter 4: Prehistoric lithics (by Barry John Bishop)
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Late glacial flintworking
4.3 Mesolithic and early Neolithic flintworking
4.4 Late Neolithic and early Bronze Age flintworking
4.5 Discussion
Chapter 5: Prehistoric pottery (by Anne Woodward)
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Ceramic traditions- typologies, succession and contextualisation
5.3 Discussion
Chapter 6: Roman period finds
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Roman ceramic building material (by Sue Anderson)
6.3 The Roman coin (by Roger White)
6.4 The Roman pottery (by R. Perrin)
Chapter 7: Early Anglo-Saxon finds
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Early Saxon pottery (by Sue Anderson)
7.3 Ceramic building material (by Sue Anderson)
7.4 Bone and antler artefacts (by Penelope Walton Rogers and D. James Rackham)
7.5 The Anglo-Saxon animal bone (by Matilda Holmes)
7.6 The glass beads (by Cecily Cooper)
7.7 The Buckle Loop (by Penelope Walton Rogers)
Chapter 8: Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval finds
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Late Anglo-Saxon and medieval pottery (by Sue Anderson)
8.3 Medieval ceramic building material (by Sue Anderson)
8.4 Animal burials (by Matilda Holmes)
Chapter 9: Palaeoenvironmental analyses (by B. Gearey, E-J. Hopla, E. Reilly and R. McKenna, with a
contribution by V. Fryer (charred plant remains and molluscs)
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Results
9.3 Discussion
9.4 Conclusions
9.5 Charred plant remains and molluscs (by V. Fryer)
Chapter 10: Prehistoric and Roman activity
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The first settlers- a sedentary population or seasonal use of a preferred place? Mesolithic to Bronze Age activity
10.3 Abandonment? Iron Age and Roman evidence
10.4 Conclusions
Chapter 11: Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval activity
11.1 Introduction
11.2 The Roman/Anglo-Saxon transition
11.3 Reclaiming the floodplain- an Anglo-Saxon settlement
11.4 Medieval and post-medieval ditch systems
11.5 Conclusions
Chapter 12: Conclusions: life on the wetland edge
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Narrative
12.3 Reconsidering the aims of the project, and recommendations for future research
12.4 Final remarks
Appendix 1: Catalogue of the struck lithic material detailed by individual context
Appendix 2: Palaeoenvironmental and radiocarbon tables
Appendix 3: Animal bone tables
Appendix 4: Roman Pottery tables
Appendix 5: Radiocarbon dating and analysis from the Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured buildings
1.1 Background to the project
1.2 Location, geology and preservation potential
1.3 Archaeological and historical background
1.4 Research context and aims
1.5 Structure of this book
Chapter 2: Methodologies
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Mapping aims onto methods
2.3 Methods
Chapter 3: The excavations
3.1 Introduction: phasing and chronology
3.2 Survival and preservation
3.3 Site narrative
3.4 Summary
Chapter 4: Prehistoric lithics (by Barry John Bishop)
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Late glacial flintworking
4.3 Mesolithic and early Neolithic flintworking
4.4 Late Neolithic and early Bronze Age flintworking
4.5 Discussion
Chapter 5: Prehistoric pottery (by Anne Woodward)
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Ceramic traditions- typologies, succession and contextualisation
5.3 Discussion
Chapter 6: Roman period finds
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Roman ceramic building material (by Sue Anderson)
6.3 The Roman coin (by Roger White)
6.4 The Roman pottery (by R. Perrin)
Chapter 7: Early Anglo-Saxon finds
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Early Saxon pottery (by Sue Anderson)
7.3 Ceramic building material (by Sue Anderson)
7.4 Bone and antler artefacts (by Penelope Walton Rogers and D. James Rackham)
7.5 The Anglo-Saxon animal bone (by Matilda Holmes)
7.6 The glass beads (by Cecily Cooper)
7.7 The Buckle Loop (by Penelope Walton Rogers)
Chapter 8: Late Saxon, medieval and post-medieval finds
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Late Anglo-Saxon and medieval pottery (by Sue Anderson)
8.3 Medieval ceramic building material (by Sue Anderson)
8.4 Animal burials (by Matilda Holmes)
Chapter 9: Palaeoenvironmental analyses (by B. Gearey, E-J. Hopla, E. Reilly and R. McKenna, with a
contribution by V. Fryer (charred plant remains and molluscs)
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Results
9.3 Discussion
9.4 Conclusions
9.5 Charred plant remains and molluscs (by V. Fryer)
Chapter 10: Prehistoric and Roman activity
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The first settlers- a sedentary population or seasonal use of a preferred place? Mesolithic to Bronze Age activity
10.3 Abandonment? Iron Age and Roman evidence
10.4 Conclusions
Chapter 11: Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval activity
11.1 Introduction
11.2 The Roman/Anglo-Saxon transition
11.3 Reclaiming the floodplain- an Anglo-Saxon settlement
11.4 Medieval and post-medieval ditch systems
11.5 Conclusions
Chapter 12: Conclusions: life on the wetland edge
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Narrative
12.3 Reconsidering the aims of the project, and recommendations for future research
12.4 Final remarks
Appendix 1: Catalogue of the struck lithic material detailed by individual context
Appendix 2: Palaeoenvironmental and radiocarbon tables
Appendix 3: Animal bone tables
Appendix 4: Roman Pottery tables
Appendix 5: Radiocarbon dating and analysis from the Anglo-Saxon sunken-featured buildings