A pollen analysis contributing to a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in Lower Palaeolithic Barnham, East Anglia - Improving the understanding of hominid occupation in this area

Barnham, East Anglia, is a well-studied Pleistocene site and contains stratigraphic sequences which contain well-preserved fossils and evidence of hominid presence. Barnham is archaeological relevant while different early industries are situated in the same stratigraphic positions. This thesis is conducted to contribute to the understanding of hominid occupation in Lower Palaeolithic Barnham. This understanding is created by a research of pollen grains. 8 slides with sediment from a profile section of Barnham were analysed. In total 18 pollen grains and four exotic marker spores were identified, including pollen of Alnus sp., Corylus/Myrica sp. and Plantago sp.. This obtained data are not representative (at least 300 pollen grains must be counted for a representative research) and valuable to contribute to the whole understanding of hominid occupation in this area. The data can however contribute to the understanding of degradation, taphonomic processes and the understanding of bias...Show moreBarnham, East Anglia, is a well-studied Pleistocene site and contains stratigraphic sequences which contain well-preserved fossils and evidence of hominid presence. Barnham is archaeological relevant while different early industries are situated in the same stratigraphic positions. This thesis is conducted to contribute to the understanding of hominid occupation in Lower Palaeolithic Barnham. This understanding is created by a research of pollen grains. 8 slides with sediment from a profile section of Barnham were analysed. In total 18 pollen grains and four exotic marker spores were identified, including pollen of Alnus sp., Corylus/Myrica sp. and Plantago sp.. This obtained data are not representative (at least 300 pollen grains must be counted for a representative research) and valuable to contribute to the whole understanding of hominid occupation in this area. The data can however contribute to the understanding of degradation, taphonomic processes and the understanding of bias in pollen assemblages. There are many processes that may have influenced the data that are generated in this research, among other things the selective transport of fossils and differential destruction, in which only the more robust specimens survive, must be taken in to account. In the soil, degradation takes place through different factors, e.g. by microbiological activity, by chemical oxidation, by mechanical powers or by changing temperatures. This research contributes to the awareness of the processes that are associated with the maintenance of pollen. Although the data in this research are limited, the pollen grains identified in this research still contribute to the understanding of former vegetation or landscape. Other proxies and different researches fields of past climate must be interlinked with pollen research, to create a better understanding of past vegetation and landscape in this particular area, and the understanding of climatic changes worldwide.Show less

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A pollen analysis contributing to a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in Lower Palaeolithic Barnham, East Anglia - Improving the understanding of hominid occupation in this area