Archaeological investigation of Early Middle Palaeolithic flint tools, including hand axes, and faunal remains in the North Sea. This volume also examines submerged and buried landscapes. The methods used to recover artifacts and other remains and to explore these buried landscapes are also described. The results are placed into the context of the British and European Early Middle Palaeolithic.

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Plates
• List of Tables
• Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• A note on dates, water depths and co-ordinate system conventions
• Abstract
• Foreign Language Summaries
• Chapter 1: Introduction
  • A fortuitous discovery
  • Project background
  • Study Area
  • Marine aggregate dredging and archaeology: managing the historic environment
  • The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
  • Contribution to the wider field of submerged prehistory
  • Structure of this volume
• Chapter 2: The Original Flint and Faunal Assemblage
  • The flint assemblage
    • Characterisation of the flake and core assemblage
    • Characterisation of the hand axe assemblage
    • Raw material procurement
    • Post-depositional artefact modifications
  • The Area 240 faunal remains: a summary
  • Discussion
• Chapter 3: Palaeogeographic Reconstruction Methods
  • Introduction
  • Area 240 investigations
  • Stage 1: existing data review
  • Stage 2: geophysical data acquisition
    • Positioning
    • Single-beam echosounder data
    • Sub-bottom profiler data
    • Sidescan sonar data
    • Magnetometer data
    • Methodology discussion
    • Comparison and integration of 2005 and 2009 datasets
  • Stage 3: seabed sampling
  • Stage 4: palaeoenvironmental sampling
  • Stages 5 and 6: palaeoenvironmental assessment, analysis and dating
  • Subsequent work
  • Summary
• Chapter 4: Prehistoric Characterisation of Area 240 and the Southern North Sea Region
  • Introduction
  • The present-day setting of the Palaeo-Yare
  • Area 240 palaeogeographic reconstruction
  • Pre-Yare Valley palaeogeography
    • The Ur-Frisia delta plain: pre-Anglian (MIS 13 upwards; >478 ka)
    • Extensive remodelling of the landscape: Anglian (MIS 12; 478–424 ka)
  • Early Development of the Palaeo-Yare
    • A new drainage pattern: late Anglian (MIS 12; c. 434 ka)
    • A marine incursion: Hoxnian (MIS 11; 424–374 ka)
  • Channel and floodplain development during the Saalian (MIS 10–6; 374–130 ka)
    • Overview
    • Fluvio-glacial sediment deposition in the Palaeo-Yare
  • The last interglacial: Ipswichian (MIS 5e; 130–115 ka)
  • Channel re-activation and continued development: Devensian (MIS 5d–MIS 2; 115 ka–11.7 ka)
    • Early Devensian (MIS 5d–MIS 3; 115 ka–54 ka)
    • Mid- to late Devensian (MIS 3–MIS 2; 54 ka–11.7 ka)
  • Early Holocene channel development and final transgression (<11.7 ka)
    • Channel development
  • Post-transgression development
  • Preservation of sediments in Area 240
• Chapter 5: The Continued Search for Archaeological Material
  • Introduction
  • Remote sampling techniques
  • Grab sampling for artefacts
  • Area 240 seabed sampling survey
    • Sampling strategy
    • Positioning
    • Video/stills photographs
    • Two metre scientific trawl
    • Grab sample acquisition and processing
    • Transect 1
    • Transect 2
    • Transect 3
    • Discussion
  • Dredging for archaeological, palaeontological and palaeoenvironmental material
    • Sampling strategy
    • Dredging vessel: assessment of dredge loads
    • SBV Flushing Wharf
    • Recovered flint
    • Recovered palaeontological and environmental material
  • Summary
• Chapter 6: Examination of the Archaeology, Methodological Approach and Management of Area 240 and Further Afield
  • Introduction
  • The Area 240 assemblage formation and post-depositional modification
    • The artefact assemblage
    • Geological context of the artefacts
    • Taphonomic considerations
    • A local source of material and production?
    • Site formation scenarios
    • Summary
  • The geographic and cultural setting of the Middle Palaeolithic assemblage within the Palaeo-Yare
    • The potential for archaeological material in the aggregate block
    • The significance of the artefact assemblage within the Palaeo-Yare
  • Faunal remains in Area 240 and the southern North Sea
    • Geological context of the faunal remains
  • The bigger picture
    • Populating our palaeogeography
    • Environment and resources
    • Movement and colonisation
  • Method evaluation
    • Reconstruction of the palaeogeography
    • Sampling artefacts
    • Summary
  • Management and mitigation
  • Further afield
  • Key conclusions
• Bibliography
• Appendix 1: original flint artefact descriptions
• Index
• Back Cover