Andrew Bicket

Heritage Management and Submerged Prehistory in the United Kingdom

This chapter represents work carried out by Wessex Archaeology (Coastal and Marine) that relates to the identification, assessment and interpretation of new archaeological and paleoenvironmental material from offshore environments whilst working cooperatively with heritage managers and industry in the UK. It shares the authors’ experience of understanding and defining the significance or importance of natural and cultural deposits offshore through examples, beginning with projects funded through the Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, as described by Bicket (Geophys J Int 178: 14–22, 2011). Secondly, the authors present an updated case study from Area 240, a Paleolithic site from the UK continental shelf, as described by Tizzard et al. (Submerged Prehistory, 2011). Finally, the authors discuss the topic of how to define archaeological significance of natural deposits found in situ in the marine environment. In this respect, we contribute to the international discussion concerning the challenges presented to heritage managers and researchers alike.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Researching the Intertidal and Marine Archaeology in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland

ABSTRACT The Outer Hebrides Coastal Community Marine Archaeology Pilot Project (OHCCMAPP) was developed to test practical approaches to intertidal and marine archaeological site investigation by incorporating coastal, geoarchaeological, and aerial and underwater archaeological specialists with a strong focus on community engagement and public outreach. The OHCCMAPPs thematic objectives were not temporally constrained, but sought information on submerged prehistoric landscapes, marine resource exploitation, and maritime transportation related to the Outer Hebrides Maritime Historic Environment. The project was designed to start broadly with the entire archipelago under consideration, before study areas were narrowed down to medium-scale, and eventually, following an evidence-based approach, investigations undertaken at the site level. Consideration was given to working within optimal tidal conditions to ensure a maximum area of coverage in the intertidal zones. A phased approach was taken over two field seasons, with desk-based assessments of landscapes and previously recorded material forming the foundations from which to build original field surveys in under-represented areas, mainly centered around the coasts of sea lochs (fjords) around the Outer Hebrides. This article presents a simplified methodology and results of the 2011–2012 field campaigns with associated discussion and a more detailed case study site.

Reconstructing Mid-to Recent Holocene palaeoenvironments in the vicinity of Ancient Amarynthos (Euboea Island, Greece)

This article examines the shoreline evolution and human occupation in the vicinity of the important archeological site of Amarynthos (Euboea Island, Greece) over the last six millennia. Archeological evidence indicates a continuous occupation of the site from the Bronze Age to the Roman period and the site is well-known, thanks to the existence of a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Based on the study of four boreholes, a paleogeographic reconstruction of the coastal landscape is proposed. Facies were determined based on mollusc identification, and sedimentology based on grain-size measurements (hand sieving for the fraction above 2 mm and LASER technique for particles below 2 mm) and loss-on-ignition. In addition, a series of 12 AMS radiocarbon dates define a reliable chronostratigraphy. Results suggest the presence of a fully marine environment from the early Holocene to ca. 2600–2400 cal. BC, which developed into a brackish environment from ca. 2600–2400 cal. BC to ca. 750 cal. BC due to the deltaic progradation of the nearby stream (Sarandapotamos River). From ca. 750 cal. BC onward, coastal swamps prevailed in the study area. Human-environmental interaction is discussed and particular attention is paid to the paleolandscape configuration of Amarynthos.

First evidence of a lake at Ancient Phaistos (Messara Plain, South-Central Crete, Greece): Reconstructing paleoenvironments and differentiating the roles of human land-use and paleoclimate from Minoan to Roman times

Phaistos was one of the most important Minoan palaces in Crete and previous studies have addressed its relationship with the paleo-seashore position during historical times. Here, we reconstruct the environmental evolution of Phaistos from Early Minoan to Roman times. Study of two stratigraphic sections and nine boreholes drilled in the westernmost part of the Messara Plain has revealed the stratigraphy of the Mid- to Late-Holocene sediments. Laboratory analyses comprise granulometry, magnetic susceptibility measurements and identification of mollusks, diatoms and pollen grains. Eighteen radiocarbon dates provide a robust chronostratigraphy. In addition, a geophysical survey (electric resistivity tomography (ERT) method) was conducted to reveal the sub-surface morphology in the coring area. The results reveal that a freshwater lake existed from ca. 2100–2000 BC to ca. 1200–1100 BC, which subsequently became swampland until ca. 700 BC. A lake retreat is identified at ca. 1200–1000 BC and can be interpreted as resulting from the 3.2 cal kyr BP rapid climate change (RCC) dry event, observed elsewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean. Subsequently, from the 7th to the 5th century BC, there was the input of detrital material and fluvial dynamics prevailed until at least Roman times. The origin of the lake and its disappearance are discussed in the context of regional climate change and local tectonic activity, without excluding possible human influences. We also reconstruct the vegetation history for the period from the Late Minoan to the Early Archaic period. Pollen analysis reveals a Mediterranean maquis landscape dominated by Olea, together with hygrophilous vegetation, and highlights a clear transition from limnic to swampy environmental conditions around 1100 BC. The pollen sequence is also important for assessing the impact of the 3.2 cal. kyr BP RCC event and for assessing the possibility of an abrupt discontinuity in human activity around Phaistos after the demise of the Minoan Civilization.