Whilst East Anglia has long been known as a key area for the preservation of important Palaeolithic archaeological and palaeoenvironmental deposits, relatively little study of the Holocene record has previously been carried out. This series of detailed studies presents the results of palaeoenvironmental, archaeological and geoarchaeological investigations focused on the Post-Glacial record preserved in the valleys of the Suffolk rivers. Five floodplain sites (Beccles, Hoxne, Hengrave, Ixworth and Brandon) were cored for palaeoenvironmental assessment, further sampling and radiocarbon dating and the resulrs are described. In addition, a summary is presented of the results of palaeoenvironmental and geoarchaeological investigations carried out as part of archaeological mitigation associated with commercial developments. Together, the results demonstrate the largely untapped research potential of the Suffolk river valleys and provide hypotheses concerning the timing, pattern and process of fluvial development, human activity and landscape change during the Holocene. Bank realignment work at Beccles in the lower Waveney Valley resulted in the discovery of three late prehistoric wetland archaeological sites at Beccles, Barsham and Geldeston. These each consisted of triple alignments of timber posts constructed across the floodplain during the later Iron Age, with evidence for continuing activity in the Romano-British period. The final chapter presents a summary of the current state of knowledge of Holocene environmental change and the archaeological record in Suffolk. The possible form and function of the Waveney timber alignment structures is discussed and compared to other similar sites from around the United Kingdom. It is suggested that these structures may have acted to delineate routeways to, from and across the river and also as territorial markers associated with river travel, both local and perhaps into the southern North Sea. A discussion of specific techniques employed during the work at Beccles, including the trialing of a novel geophysical approach at the site and 3-D digital recording of the timbers is presented and the volume concludes with a brief summary of research questions for future palaeoenvironmental and archaeological study.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Summary
• Zusammenfassung
• Résumé
• Chapter 1: Introduction: Archaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Research in East Anglia
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Physical setting and the Suffolk Rivers
  • 1.3 The Suffolk Rivers: archaeo-environmental potential and threats
  • 1.4 Outline of this monograph
  • 1.5 The Suffolk River Valleys Project (2007)
  • 1.6 Commercial palaeoenvironmental and geoarchaeological study in the Suffolk River Valleys (2005–2012)
  • 1.7 Archaeological excavations and analyses in the Lower Waveney Valley (Beccles, Barsham and Geldeston)
  • 1.8 Methodologies
• Chapter 2: The Suffolk River Valleys Project (SRVP) Phases I and II (2006–2008)
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Study site selection and methodologies
  • 2.3 SRVP fieldwork, palaeoenvironmental assessments and radiocarbon dating
  • 2.4 Discussion
  • 2.5 Summary: the Suffolk River Valleys Project Phases I and II
• Chapter 3: Palaeoenvironmental and Geoarchaeological Investigations of the Suffolk River Valleys: Birmingham Archaeo-Environmental Commercial Projects 2005–2012
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 The River Gipping
    • 3.2.1 Stowmarket: Stowmarket Relief Road
    • 3.2.2 Stowmarket: Station Road
    • 3.2.3 Great Blakenham
    • 3.2.4 Cedars Park
  • 3.3 The River Stour
    • 3.3.1 Sudbury AFC
    • 3.3.2 Wixoe
  • 3.4 The River Lark
    • 3.4.1 Bury St Edmunds: the Abbey Precinct
    • 3.4.2 Bury St Edmunds: Eastgate Street
    • 3.4.3 Rushbrooke-Nowton
  • 3.5 The east coast of Suffolk
    • 3.5.1 Ipswich Docks (Albion Wharf)
    • 3.5.2 River Orwell, Ispwich Triangle
    • 3.5.3 Ipswich Mills
    • 3.5.4 Sizewell: Sizewell Belts
  • 3.6 Discussion: palaeoenvironmental and geoarchaeological evidence from commercial projects in the Suffolk River Valleys
• Chapter 4: Archaeological Excavations and Analyses of a Late Prehistoric Timber Alignment: The Beccles Project (2006–2012)
  • 4.1 Introduction
    • The study area
  • 4.2 Summary of excavations at Beccles in 2006 (BCC-043) and 2007 (BA1472)
  • 4.3 The Beccles Project (2006–2012): understanding, contextualising and managing a later Iron Age wetland site
    • 4.3.1 Methods
      • Airborne remote sensing, borehole excavation and deposit modelling
      • Geophysical survey
    • 4.3.2 Results of the survey phase
  • 4.4 Excavations and analyses
    • Trench array
    • Site stratigraphy, palaeoenvironmental and archaeological wood analyses and chronology
    • Condition assessment of timber, soil chemistry and water table modelling
  • 4.5 Results from 2009 excavations at Beccles
    • Trench 1
    • Trench 2
    • Trench 3
    • Trench 4
    • Trench 5
    • Trench 6
    • Test Pit
  • 4.6 Post-excavation analyses
    • Archaeological wood analyses
    • 4.6.1 Small finds: pottery, burnt flint
    • 4.6.2 Site chronology and phasing
    • 4.6.3 On-site palaeoenvironmental analyses
      • Methods: plant macrofossils and beetles
      • Pollen analyses
      • Results: plant macrofossils
      • Results: beetles
      • Results: pollen analyses
  • 4.7 Summary: Beccles – a later Iron Age timber alignment
• Chapter 5: Archaeological Excavations and Analyses of other Late Prehistoric Timber Alignments in the Waveney Valley: Excavations at Barsham (2007) and Geldeston (2011)
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Excavations at Barsham (2007)
    • 5.2.1 Introduction
    • 5.2.2 Results
    • 5.2.3 Discussion: the Barsham timber alignment
  • 5.3 Excavations at Geldeston, Norfolk (2011)
    • 5.3.1 Introduction
    • 5.3.2 Results
    • 5.3.3 Discussion: the Geldeston timber alignments
  • 5.4 Summary: late prehistoric timber alignments at Barsham Marshes and Geldeston
• Chapter 6: Assessing the Preservation of the Archaeo-Environmental Resource at Beccles and Barsham: Implications for Future Management and Preservation In Situ
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Assessing the preservation of the organic archaeology at Beccles
    • Sampling and assessment for wood condition characterisation – methods
    • Burial environment geochemistry
    • Decay and geochemical analyses: results and discussion
  • 6.3 Assessing the preservation of the on-site palaeoenvironmental record
    • Pollen
    • Plant macrofossils
    • Beetles
    • Summary: preservation of palaeoenvironmental proxies
  • 6.4 Water table monitoring
    • Past and present hydrology and state of preservation
  • 6.5 Barsham: condition assessment of two timber stakes
  • 6.6 Discussion: heritage management implications
  • 6.7 Summary: the preservation and future management of wetland sites in the Waveney Valley
• Chapter 7: Holocene Environments, the Archaeological Record and Human Activity in the Suffolk River Valleys: Synthesis, Discussion and Conclusions
  • 7.1 Introduction
  • 7.2 Late Quaternary environments, the archaeological record and human activity in the Suffolk river valleys
    • Mesolithic environments and the archaeological record
    • Neolithic environments and the archaeological record
    • Bronze Age environments and the archaeological record
    • Iron Age environments and the archaeological record
    • Romano-British environments and the archaeological record
  • 7.3 The Waveney valley later prehistoric timber alignments in context
    • The upright stakes, wood working and technology
    • The small finds: pottery
    • The landscape context and later prehistoric environments in the Waveney Valley
  • 7.4 Dividing, defining or uniting the landscape? Stake alignments in prehistory
    • Structural parallels for the timber alignments
  • 7.5 Conclusions: The function of the Waveney valley timber alignments
  • 7.6 Wetland archaeology: testing novel techniques for the 21st century
    • Geophysics: spectral induced polarisation
    • Digital recording, display and curation: laser scanning of waterlogged archaeological wood
  • 7.7 Public engagement with the archaeology of the Waveney valley
  • 7.8 Summary and conclusions: the Suffolk River Valleys in the past and future
• References
• Appendix 1: Beccles Timber Alignment Management Plan