Leiden University Student Repository

Nierop, Claire van (2011)

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Happisburgh Site 1, Norfolk, England. Identification and Analysis of Plant Macrofossils

Master thesis | Archaeology (MA/MSc)

The purpose of this dissertation is to report on the plant macro-remains found at Happisburgh Site 1, Section 1, L7, from levels 0-10 cm, 20-30 cm, 50-60 cm and 60-70 cm, and two samples from Section 1, L9. The plant remains that were identified and analysed from these levels will aid in the overall palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the site, allowing for a better undertanding of the conditions that the Pleistocene hominids were facing in Britain during Happisburgh's occupation. Understanding the Pleistocene environmental conditions in NW Europe is fundamental to our interpretation of the dispersal of hominids across Eurasia, since until very recently it was presumed that colonisation of Europe before 500 Ka did not occur at latitudes beyond 45o N, as demonstrated by the lack of archaeological evidence in these regions (Parfitt et al. 2010:229).

Author

Nierop, Claire van

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Field, M.H.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en