POLLEN ANALYSIS OF THE BRONZE AGE CAIRN AND AN ADJACENT PEAT PROFILE AT CHYSAUSTER, CORNWALL
Author(s): R G Scaife
In March 1984, a Bronze Age cairn and an extensive system of field boundaries and lynchets were excavated by the Central Excavation Unit. Two pollen sequences have been produced. The first of these is from the soils of the old land surface underlying the Bronze Age cairn. This has indicated that the environment contained oak and hazel woodland which was disturbed by agricultural activity just prior to the construction of the monument. The second pollen sequence is longer and comes from a localised peat filled channel occurring downslope from the archaeological site. This sequence illustrates that the local vegetation had comprised oak and hazel woodland for a substantial length of time. In this profile, three phases of anthropogenic activity have been recognised and it is thought that these relate to the archaeological sites nearby. This had a substantial effect on this fen mire vegetation community and caused oscillations between willow and alder carr woodland.
- Report Number:
- 193/1988
- Series:
- AML Reports (New Series)
- Pages:
- 21
- Keywords:
- Plant Remains Pollen
