Modelling Prehistoric Topography and Vegetation in the Lower Thames Valley, UK: Palaeoenvironmental Context for Wetland Archaeology and Evidence for Neolithic Landnám from North Woolwich

ABSTRACT

Multi-proxy investigations at 2 Pier Road, North Woolwich, London, UK, have revealed deposits spanning the Middle-Late Holocene from the late Mesolithic (c. 4360 cal BC) onwards. Pollen data show an Elm Decline at c. 4210–3950 cal BC followed by landnám clearances at c. 4210–3910 cal BC and c. 3710–3030 cal BC and the first appearance of cereal at c. 3540–3030 cal BC. These events are potentially contemporary with the construction of nearby Neolithic trackways, providing indirect evidence for agriculture and settlement. REVEALS modelling shows the first significant reduction in woodland cover is coincident with the Neolithic Elm decline, but the main step-change to open conditions occurred in the Early Bronze Age, following a decline in lime at c. 2110–1630 cal BC. Palaeo-topographic modelling of the region shows that although the trend towards increasing openness coincides with gradual wetland expansion, the shift to open vegetation cover cannot be explained by this and is probably the result of human activity. This study highlights the value of combining deposit and vegetation cover modelling to contextualise wetland archaeology and shows that together these provide useful proxies for landscape-scale human activity that can identify ephemeral signals of prehistoric activity.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• London
• vegetation cover
• deposit modelling
• Elm decline
• trackways
• landnám

Acknowledgements

The work presented in this article was funded by Higgins Construction PLC. The project was managed for MOLA by Marit Leenstra and commissioned by Claire Smith of Higgins. The authors wish to thank Mark Burch, MOLA, and all at PJ Drilling Ltd for their assistance on site. Thanks are also due to Sylvia Warman and Adam Single, both of Historic England, and Graham Spurr, MOLA, for their helpful advice. The two anonymous reviewers are thanked for their helpful and constructive comments that helped improve an earlier version of this manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Higgins Construction Ltd: [Grant Number n/a].

Notes on contributors

Phil Stastney

Phil Stastney is a geoarchaeologist and project manager at MOLA. His work focuses on wetland palaeoenvironments, Holocene climate change and human-environment interactions.

Rob Scaife

Rob Scaife is a Visiting Professor of Palaeoecology and Environmental Archaeology at the University of Southampton and an Honorary Research Associate of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge.

Lara Gonzalez Carretero

Dr Lara Gonzalez Carretero is an archaeobotanist who specialises in the study of archaeological food and dietary patterns through time.

John E. Whittaker

John E. Whittaker is a Scientific Associate in the Department of Earth Sciences at The Natural History Museum, London, and works on both the Foraminifera and the Ostracoda.

Nigel Cameron

Nigel Cameron is a palaeoecologist and environmental archaeologist. He is interested particularly in the application of diatom analysis in geoarchaeology.

Enid Allison

Enid Allison B.SC, D.Phil is an Environmental Specialist at Canterbury Archaeological Trust.