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Late Quaternary Environmental Change in North-west Europe: Excavations at Holywell Coombe, South-east England

Excavations at Holywell Coombe, South-east England

  • Book
  • © 1998

Overview

Authors:
  1. R. C. Preece

    1. Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

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  2. D. R. Bridgland

    1. Department of Geography, University of Durham, Science Laboratories, Durham, England

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
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  2. Introduction

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Introduction

      • R. C. Preece
      Pages 3-13

  3. Environmental Background

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 15-15
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    2. Environmental Background

      • R. C. Preece, D. R. Bridgland
      Pages 17-29

  4. The Geology

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 31-31
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    2. Stratigraphical investigations

      • R. C. Preece, D. R. Bridgland, M. J. Sharp
      Pages 33-68

    3. Sedimentological investigations

      • J. A. Catt, S. J. Staines
      Pages 69-105

  5. Radiocarbon Dating

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 107-107
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    2. Radiocarbon Dating

      • V. R. Switsur, R. A. Housley
      Pages 109-119

  6. Biostratigraphy and Palaeoecology

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121
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    2. Palaeobotany

      • K. D. Bennett, R. C. Preece
      Pages 123-148

    3. Fungal spores and other microfossils

      • J. J. Blackford
      Pages 149-157

    4. Mollusca

      • R. C. Preece
      Pages 158-212

    5. Insects

      • G. R. Coope
      Pages 213-233

    6. Mites

      • J. Schelvis
      Pages 234-241

    7. Ostracoda

      • J. E. Robinson
      Pages 242-253

    8. Vertebrates

      • A. M. Lister, A. J. Stuart
      Pages 254-260

  7. The Prehistory of Holywell Coombe

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 261-261
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    2. The Prehistory of Holywell Coombe

      • P. Bennett, S. Ouditt, J. Rady, A. Gibson, E. Healey, N. Macpherson-Grant
      Pages 263-314
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Keywords

About this book

Holywell Coombe, an embayment in the chalk scarp overlooking Folkestone, Kent, was designated a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1985 because it contains richly fossiliferous Late Quaternary sediments providing a unique archive of the last 13,000 years.
The construction of the Channel Tunnel across the Holywell Coombe SSSI brought about a major rescue excavation, funded by Eurotunnel, that set an important precedent in Earth Science conservation. This multidisciplinary investigation has added enormously to our understanding of the environment and natural history of the Late-glacial and Holocene. The climatic complexity of the Late-glacial is recorded in the nature of the sediments, the fossils recovered from them and the soils developed within them.
From the Neolithic, and especially during the Early Bronze Age, the slopes were destabilized as a result of forest clearance, leading to the accumulation of hillwash. Archaeological excavations in the hillwash have revealed evidence of prehistoric occupation and agricultural activity in the coombe.
Eurotunnel also funded biological surveys of the local terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Combining these with the fossil evidence, it has been possible to document the pedigree of our present fauna and flora, providing one of the most detailed and comprehensive studies of its kind. With contributions from eminent Quaternary scientists from several countries, this work will be an important resource for researchers, lecturers and postgraduate students in Quaternary sciences - geology, geography, biology, ecology and archaeology - as well as for government bodies concerned with nature conservation and environmental protection.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England

    R. C. Preece

  • Department of Geography, University of Durham, Science Laboratories, Durham, England

    D. R. Bridgland

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Late Quaternary Environmental Change in North-west Europe: Excavations at Holywell Coombe, South-east England

  • Book Subtitle: Excavations at Holywell Coombe, South-east England

  • Authors: R. C. Preece, D. R. Bridgland

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4908-2

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1998

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-412-83230-7Published: 31 August 1998

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-94-010-6059-2Published: 04 October 2012

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-011-4908-2Published: 06 December 2012

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXI, 425

  • Topics: Hydrogeology, Paleontology

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