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...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
On the beach of Happisburgh iron rich blocks have been washing up for centuries. When an iron mineralised faunal fossil with cut marks was found, this formed the direct occasion for further...Show moreOn the beach of Happisburgh iron rich blocks have been washing up for centuries. When an iron mineralised faunal fossil with cut marks was found, this formed the direct occasion for further investigation. The iron rich blocks are filled with plant macro and other fossils. In the nineteenth century Clement Reid and six others reported similar iron rich blocks washing up. They named the presumed locality the ‘Elephant Bed’ after the many Elephant fossils yielded from the same deposition. This thesis investigates the plant macro fossils and a basic lithological analysis of 66 iron rich blocks collected from Happisburgh Site 5 in 2012 by dr. M.H. Field in an attempt to establish a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction that could indicate possible habitability of early hominins. In order to do so this research has been placed in the context of East Anglian, Pleistocene research on the stratigraphy. This sequence is extremely complex and has been revised, including Reid, West, Lee, Hamblin and others. Not only are there now two opposing views on the classification of these sediments, the associated ages differ by several Marine Isotope Stages. Some general consensus has been achieved on the palaeogeography, namely the presence of ancient rivers in this part of England. Whether this be the ancient Thames or a local river called Bytham remains a discussion. Fluvial sediments are known for depositing iron rich blocks. Several sites in East Anglia have yielded flaked artefacts, such as Pakefield and Happisburgh Site 3, but no human fossil remains. Happisburgh has four other sites other than the one investigated for this thesis, that have all yielded some form of evidence for hominin presence (i.e. cut marks, flaked artefacts). Clement Reid of the British Geological Survey, Peter Murphy of the English Heritage and Simon Parfitt of the Natural History Museum have, respectively published and shared, plant macro fossil results for these iron rich blocks. The fossils included aquatic and woodland taxa. Murphy’s methodology is different from the methodology used for this thesis. Both methods have their pros and cons, and depending on the research questions one or the other may be used in future investigations. The iron rich blocks have underwent severe taphonomic processes that have had their influence on the preservation of the botany, and possibly had an effect on over- or underrepresentation of the taxa. Results from the lithological analysis indicate the existence of several different facies, indicating the presence of both a river as a wetland or horse shoe shaped lake. The plant macro fossils indicate aquatic taxa, terrestrial taxa and woodland taxa. Some faunal remains have been found, such as shell impressions and one fossilized abraded mammal long bone. The shell impression identification corresponds with identifications made by both Reid as Murphy and suggest reasonably clear, stagnant or mild flowing fresh waters. In the absence of an in situ locality for these blocks, several inferences can be made based on the presented results. Three scenarios are described, order from most likely to least likely. The final conclusion attests the hypothesis, as there seems to be a clear indication for a temperate environment that could possibly have been a habitat for early hominins.Show less
