The Gwithian Landscape: Molluscs and Archaeology on Cornish Sand Dunes

Description

Gwithian, on the north coast of Cornwall, is a multiperiod archaeological site. Excavations by Charles Thomas in the mid-twentieth century provided evidence of human activity from the Mesolithic to the post-medieval period. The present work explores the palaeoenvironment of the area around the settlement sites, from the Neolithic, when sand dunes initially developed in the Red River valley, to the present post-industrial landscape. Multiproxy analyses on sediments from coring, a test pit and mollusc columns provide a view of the changing landscape and how it may have influenced, or been influenced by, human presence and settlement. Mollusc studies are used as the principal analytical method. Multiple radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminesce dates permit these changes to be studied on a tighter time frame than was previously possible. Mining activity from the Bronze Age to the present is explored using fine-resolution geochemistry. Dating allows the timing of the extinction and introduction of some mollusc species to be refined.Table of ContentsPrefaceForeword by Jacqueline A. NowakowskiChapter I – IntroductionChapter II – Gwithian and its archaeological complexChapter III – Previous molluscan studies at GwithianChapter IV – The current study at GwithianChapter V – The coring transectChapter VI – Percussion coresChapter VII – Hand auger coresChapter VIII – Pollen analysis at Gwithian – by Dr. C. R. BatchelorChapter IX – Chronology and discussion of the coring transectChapter X – Trench excavationChapter XI – Micromorphology analysis of a buried soil – by Dr R. Y. BanerjeaChapter XII – Mollusc studies in the wider Gwithian landscapeChapter XIII – Mining for tin and other metalsChapter XIV – Discussion and conclusionsConclusionsBibliography