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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Andrew Howard
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Using examples from dated alluvial deposits in the Trent basin, UK, this paper suggests that the waterlogged remains of insects, mainly beetles, can be used to detect the occurrence of varying discharge and changing patterns of flood-plain evolution in low gradient alluvial landscapes of Holocene age. This approach may provide invaluable data where the finer-grained nature of sedimentation means that other types of information such as coarse boulder berms are lacking. Comparison of Coleoptera assemblages from three high-energy and two lower-energy deposits indicates that a number of distinctive characteristics can be identified and criteria can be set for the distinction of these two contrasting depositional environments. This approach is tested using Coleoptera remains recovered from a palaeochannel fill at Spalford Meadows in the Lower Trent Valley. The application of this methodology could contribute to the reconstruction of river histories, a key factor in understanding the distribution of valley floor archaeological settlement patterns. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Author(s): Smith DN, Howard AJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Archaeological Science
Year: 2004
Volume: 31
Issue: 1
Pages: 109-120
ISSN (print): 0305-4403
ISSN (electronic): 1095-9238
Publisher: Academic Press
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2003.07.002
DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2003.07.002
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