The valley of the Great Ouse in Bedfordshire is an arca of rich, but diminishing, archaeological resources. This volume draws together, for the first time, current archaeological work in the arca in an attempt to characterise the regions distinct, but previously unrecognised, archaeological identity. With synthetic surveys of specific landscape areas and short case studies it effectively captures the character of the region's archaeology, whilst highlighting both areas of theoretical concern in understanding the region's past, and areas of methodological concern in developing effective ways of exploring that past within the constraints of current archaeological practice. At a time when the formulation of research frameworks is increasingly seen as an important element in shaping the direction of future archaeological work this volume will provide the framework for defining future research.
Author(s): Mike Dawson (ed.)
Series: Council for British Archaeology. CBA Research Reports, 119
Publisher: Council for British Archaeology
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 184
City: York
List of figures ix
List of tables xii
List of contributors xiii
Preface - Peter Price, Anglian Water Services xiv
Summaries: English, German, French xv
1. Introduction / Mike Dawson 1
2. Geology, relief, and Quaternary palaeoenvironments in the basin of the Ouse / Chris Green 5
3. The prehistoric vegetation and environment of the River Ouse Valley / Rob Scaife 17
4. Alluviation and landscape change at Little Paxton / Rebecca Rose 27
5. The Palaeolithic period of the Ouse Valley / Tim Reynolds 35
6. The Mesolithic interlude / Mike Dawson 46
7. The development of a Neolithic monument complex at Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire / Fachtna McAvoy 51
8. The ritual landscape of the Neolithic and Bronze Age along the middle and lower Ouse Valley / Tim Malim 57
9. A Fenland delta: Later prehistoric land-use in the lower Ouse Reaches / Chris Euans and Mark Knight 89
10. The Iron Age and Romano British period: a landscape in transition / Mike Dawson 107
11. A river valley landscape: Excavations at Little Paxton Quarry, Cambridgeshire 1992-6 - an interim summary / Alex Jones with illustrations by Nigel Dodds 131
12. Estate, Village, Town? Roman, Saxon, and medieval settlement in the St. Neots area / Paul Spoerry 145
Index / Susan Vaughan 161
