Preliminary Results of High-Resolution Palaeoecological Analyses at Star Carr, Yorkshire

Day, Petra

doi:10.1017/s0959774300000755

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Microscopic charcoal fragments (<i8opim) occur at low frequency between and after these macro-charcoal phases (Day 1993). This microcharcoal is probably derived from both local and more distant fires, and suggests that burning occurred at other times at other sites in the area.…”

Section: Charcoal Analysismentioning

confidence: 94%

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‘Absolute’ dating of Mesolithic human activity at Star Carr, Yorkshire: new palaeoecological studies and identification of the 9600 bp radiocarbon ‘plateau’

Day

Mellars

1994

Proc. Prehist. Soc.

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The existence of a ‘radiocarbon plateau’ at 9600 BP causes problems for early Mesolithic archaeology and palaeoecology, since events separated by up to 400 calendar years are not distinguished by radiocarbon dating. A new sequence of closely spaced radiocarbon accelerator dates from waterlogged deposits at the early Mesolithic site at Star Carr, Yorkshire, has enabled recognition of this plateau. It has been possible to ‘wiggle-match’ these Star Carr dates to the recently produced dendrochronological calibration curve for the early post-glacial period, providing an ‘absolute’ chronology for formation of the deposits. Associated high resolution palaeoecological analyses indicate two local phases of human activity, the lengths of which can be estimated from the calibrated time-scale. As far as we are aware, this is the first time that it has been possible to provide ‘absolute’ dates for human activity at an early Mesolithic site in Europe.

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Section: Charcoal Analysismentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The aim has been to clarify both the precise chronology of human occupation on the site, and the effect of this activity on the local palaeoecological succession. The results suggest that there was more than one phase of local occupation, and that this activity produced significant environmental impacts (Day 1993)-…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Absolute’ dating of Mesolithic human activity at Star Carr, Yorkshire: new palaeoecological studies and identification of the 9600 bp radiocarbon ‘plateau’

Day

Mellars

1994

Proc. Prehist. Soc.

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“…This located a zone of substantial worked timbers close to the base of the organic deposits, associated with flint and antler artefacts and apparently forming part of a deliberately-laid wooden platform in the reedswamp zone at the edge of the former lake. This trench was reopened by P. A. Mellars in 1989 and sequences of deposits removed for highresolution palaeoecological analyses (Day, 1993).…”

Section: C-isotope Determinations On Terrestrial and Aquatic Plant Rementioning

confidence: 99%

“…These have accompanied detailed palaeoecological analyses of the deposits designed to shed light on the nature of occupation at Star Carr (Day, 1993;Day & Mellars, 1994;Day, 1996, forthcoming).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dogs, Deer and Diet at Star Carr: a Reconsideration of C-isotope Evidence from Early Mesolithic Dog Remains from the Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire, England

Day

1996

Journal of Archaeological Science

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“…To assess the effect of human activity on the environment, high-resolution studies (e.g. Simmons 1993;Hicks 1993;Day 1993;Day and Mellars 1994;Simmons et al 1989;Bos and Janssen 1996;Bos and Urz 2003) are needed for small-scale changes in vegetation or occupation phases to be detectable. Furthermore, the detection of human-induced small local vegetation changes is dependent on the distance between the area of activity and the area from which the samples were derived (Kloss 1987a;Hicks 1993;Bos and Janssen 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Holocene environmental change, the presence and disappearance of early Mesolithic habitation near Zutphen (The Netherlands)

Bos

Geel

Groenewoudt

et al. 2005

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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The Early Holocene landscape near Zutphen (The Netherlands) is reconstructed by means of microfossil, macroremain and bone analyses. In this area early Mesolithic sites were found on a river dune along a former river channel. AMS 14 C dating provided a detailed chronology for the sites and river channel deposits. Between ca. 9800-9600 B.P. open herbaceous vegetation was present on the river dunes. The residual channels were fringed by reed swamps and willow shrubs, with birch and poplar woodlands inland. During this period there are indications of natural or man-made burning of the reed swamp vegetation along the residual channel. Also trampling zones along the lake edge were more abundant. However, no archaeological sites were discovered in the vicinity. From ca. 9600 B.P. on, the area became more densely forested; willow, birch and poplar replaced the reed swamps along the residual channels, while pine colonised the river dunes. Archaeological finds show that early Mesolithic people inhabited the area between ca. 9400 and 9200 B.P. and between ca. 8900-8700 B.P. During the earlier period, records of Urtica, Plantago and coprophilous fungi may point to trampling and/ or eutrophication as a result of the presence of large herbivores and people along the channel shores. After ca. 8700 B.P. people probably left the area when open water was no longer available in the vicinity.

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Preliminary Results of High-Resolution Palaeoecological Analyses at Star Carr, Yorkshire

Abstract: The 1985 trench revealed a layer of large timbers (associated with flint and antler artefacts) at the edge of the former lake, possibly forming part of a deliberately laid platform. Cloutman & Smith (1988) produced three pollen diagrams from this trench,

Cited by 16 publications

References 9 publications

‘Absolute’ dating of Mesolithic human activity at Star Carr, Yorkshire: new palaeoecological studies and identification of the 9600 bp radiocarbon ‘plateau’

‘Absolute’ dating of Mesolithic human activity at Star Carr, Yorkshire: new palaeoecological studies and identification of the 9600 bp radiocarbon ‘plateau’

Dogs, Deer and Diet at Star Carr: a Reconsideration of C-isotope Evidence from Early Mesolithic Dog Remains from the Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire, England

Early Holocene environmental change, the presence and disappearance of early Mesolithic habitation near Zutphen (The Netherlands)

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