POLLEN ANALYSIS OF THE PEAT SEQUENCE FROM FISHERGATE, NORWICH, NORFOLK.
Author(s): R G Scaife
A substantial peat deposit was discovered in the valley of the River Wensum, Norwich, Norfolk. This has been subjected to environmental analyses which include pollenplant macrofossils and insects studies. This report presents the pollen analysis which has been carried out.Three pollen assemblage zones have been recognised. A basal zone which has also been radiocarbon dated to 9410 +/- 110 bp lies within the pre-boreal/boreal transition. The vegetation of this phase has been shownto be dominated by birch and then pine. There is a marked hiatus between pollen zones I and II. Pollen zones II and III are obviously later and are thought on palynological grounds to span the late- prehistoric to Saxon periods since they show evidence of anthropogenic activity. A radiocarbon date of 800AD hasbeen obtained from the top of pollen zone III. The uppermost pollen zone IV is of medieval age and is typical of urban pollen assemblages. The pollen spectraof this zone are dominated by herbaceous pollen types and especially that of cereal pollen and associated segetal taxa. These result from the presence of faecal debris and other organic waste which was dumped in the river Wensum channel.
- Report Number:
- 156/1988
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 16
- Keywords:
- Plant Remains Pollen
