Archaeology and Environment on the North Sea Littoral: A Case Study from Low Hauxley

The sequence of excavations at Low Hauxley uncovered a truly remarkable archaeological site where layer upon layer of human history had survived on a discrete parcel of land as sediments had built up during the Holocene. Associated with the archaeological remains were rich palaeoenvironmental deposits that contained a record of vegetation change and land use that could be correlated with the archaeological evidence. The remains date from the Mesolithic through to the modern period and include particularly well-preserved features thanks to their burial under metres of dune sand in a benign geochemical environment. The site is subject to severe coastal erosion and this volume disentangles the complex stratigraphy of the site and places it in its local and wider North Sea setting. The comprehensive radiocarbon dating programme is supported by detailed artefact analyses and in-depth analysis of the palaeoenvironmental deposits. This site makes an important contribution to the knowledge base and understanding of key historical processes affecting the wider North Sea Basin, including the arrival of narrow-blade-using Mesolithic groups from ‘Doggerland’, the presence of Early Neolithic farming groups, the arrival of the first Beaker-using people to the region and farming intensification in the Bronze Age, together with Iron Age and Roman-period farming groups with access to Roman material culture despite being north of Hadrian’s Wall. Important environmental events are also documented including the development and subsequent burial of peats, atastrophic sand inundation following Bronze Age relative sea level high-stand and further episodes of catastrophic sand inundation in the early medieval period and in the late or post-medieval period that could potentially correlate with the ‘Little Ice Age’. This volume seeks to bring the results of this landmark study to the attention of a wide academic audience.