Sedimentology, palaeontology and archaeology of late Middle Pleistocene River Thames terrace deposits at Purfleet, Essex, UK

Schreve, Danielle C.; Bridgland, David R.; Allen, Peter M.; Blackford, J.J.; Gleed-Owen, Christopher P.; Griffiths, Huw I.; Keen, D. H.; White, Mark

doi:10.1016/s0277-3791(01)00100-7

Cited by 108 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In addition to the Swanscombe area, evidence for this is based on the Clactonian type locality; both sites can be related to the terrace sequence of the River Thames (Bridgland, 1994;Bridgland et al, 1999). The Clactonian has also been recognised in sediments forming a lower terrace of the Thames at sites like Little Thurrock and Purfleet, which have been correlated with late MIS 10/early MIS 9 (Bridgland, 1994;Schreve et al, 2002;White, 2000), suggesting at least two sequential Clactonian immigrations in consecutive climatic cycles (White and Schreve, 2000).…”

Section: Position Within the Interglacial Cyclementioning

confidence: 98%

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Preece

Gowlett

Parfitt

et al. 2006

J Quaternary Science

110

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A Lower Palaeolithic industry at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, occurs within an interglacial sequence that immediately overlies glacial deposits, referable to the Anglian Lowestoft Formation. There is strong biostratigraphical evidence from both vertebrates and molluscs that the interglacial represented is the Hoxnian (MIS 11). This conclusion is supported by uranium series dates from carbonate nodules (>400 kyr), TL dates from burnt flint (414 AE 30 kyr) and a range of amino acid racemisation data. The archaeology consists of flint artefacts of Acheulian character, including many refitting examples. Charred material is abundant in three stratigraphical units and many bones and flints have been burnt, indicating repeated occurrence of fire. Several discrete areas of burnt sediment appear to be hearths. This interpretation is supported by: (1) the intensity of burning (600-8008C) implied by the charred and calcined bones; (2) the intersection of two of the burnt areas, implying separate burning events at slightly different, overlapping locations; (3) the discovery of two burnt flakes that refit onto an adjacent group that are unburnt, indicating that the burning was highly localised; and (4) the spatial distribution of artefacts respects the features interpreted as hearths, suggesting fireside knapping. Fossils associated with the archaeology indicate occupation within closed deciduous forest in a fully temperate climate. Attractions to this unusual environment would have included the fresh water provided by springs, a rich supply of potential food and a prolific source of good quality flint for tool manufacture. The archaeological evidence therefore suggests that the site repeatedly served as an area of focused activities (perhaps a 'home-base') during much of the interglacial. The upper levels of the sequence provide clear faunal evidence of climatic deterioration during which human occupation and fire use persisted. Biostratigraphical correlations with other Lower Palaeolithic sites lend support to the suggestion that Acheulian and Clactonian industries occurred in Britain during the same substage of the Hoxnian, although not necessarily at precisely the same time.

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Section: Position Within the Interglacial Cyclementioning

confidence: 98%

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Preece

Gowlett

Parfitt

et al. 2006

J Quaternary Science

110

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“…The southerly extension of the European ice sheets during MIS 10 is still a matter of debate, particularly because of the much debated correlation of the Holsteinian (-Hoxnian) temperate Stage with the MIS 11 interglacials (de Beaulieu and Reille, 1995;Vandenberghe, 2000;de Beaulieu et al, 2001;Schreve et al, 2002;Gibbard and Van Kolfschoten, 2005;Nitychoruk et al, 2006;Gibbard and Cohen, 2008) or MIS 9 (Scourse et al, 1999;Auguste et al, 2003;Geyh and Müller, 2005;Scourse, 2006;Geyh and Müller, 2007;Litt, 2007). Correlation between the marine oxygen isotope stratigraphy and the Holsteinian Stage is crucial because this interval followed the extensive Elsterian (-Anglian) glaciation, dating from MIS 12 or MIS 10 depending on the correlation of the Holsteinian with MIS 11 or MIS 9, respectively.…”

Section: Marine Isotope Stage 10mentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing of massive ‘Fleuve Manche’ discharges over the last 350kyr: insights into the European ice-sheet oscillations and the European drainage network from MIS 10 to 2

Toucanne

Zaragosi

Bourillet

et al. 2009

Quaternary Science Reviews

188

234

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“…The molluscan fauna from the Greenlands and Bluelands quarry exposures at Purfleet has been extensively researched since the sites were first described (Allen, 1977;Keen, in Schreve et al, 2002). Only modest appraisal was therefore undertaken of the molluscan evidence from the HS1 sections and the new sections in Greenlands Quarry.…”

Section: Molluscsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An enhanced record of MIS 9 environments, geochronology and geoarchaeology: data from construction of the High Speed 1 (London–Channel Tunnel) rail-link and other recent investigations at Purfleet, Essex, UK

Bridgland

Harding²,

Allen

et al. 2013

Proceedings of the Geologists' Association

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The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. Abstract: New data from the complex Lower Thames locality at Purfleet, Essex, reinforce the correlation of interglacial deposits there with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9, the second of four postAnglian (MIS 12) interglacials recorded in the river terrace sequence east of London. Arising from various developer-funded archaeologically-driven projects, and primarily the construction of 'High Speed 1' (HS1: formerly the Channel Tunnel Rail Link), the new evidence includes additions to palaeontological knowledge of this interglacial, notably from ostracods and vertebrates, results from isotopic analyses of shell and concretionary carbonates, and the first application of numerical geochronological techniques at Purfleet. These analyses, combined with mutual climatic modelling of the ostracods, confirm that deposition of the fossilferous deposits coincided with interglacial conditions, with similar-to-or warmer-than-present summer temperatures and colder winters, providing a suggestion of greater continentality. OSL and amino-acid racemisation support correlation of the interglacial with MIS 9, whereas the climatic and sedimentological evidence points to correlation with the earliest and warmest substage (MIS 9e). There is also evidence that a greater part of the Purfleet sequence might date from the interglacial, although whether these also represent MIS 9e or later parts of the complex stage cannot be determined. The additional archaeological material is consistent with previous interpretations of a tripartite stratigraphical sequence of lithic traditions: basal Clactonian, above which is Acheulian (handaxe manufacture), followed by one of the earliest British appearances of Levallois technique. ABSTRACTNew data from the complex Lower Thames locality at Purfleet, Essex, reinforce the correlation of interglacial deposits there with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9, the second of four post-Anglian (MIS 12) interglacials recorded in the river terrace sequence east of London. Arising from various developer-funded archaeologically-driven projects, and primarily the construction of 'High Speed 1' (HS1: formerly the Channel Tunnel Rail Link), the new evidence includes additions to palaeontological knowledge of this interglacial, notably from ostracods and vertebrates, results from isotopic analyses of shell and concretionary carbonates, and the first application of geochronological techniques at Purfleet. These analyses, combined with palaeotemperature estimates from the Mutual Ostracod Temperate Range...

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Sedimentology, palaeontology and archaeology of late Middle Pleistocene River Thames terrace deposits at Purfleet, Essex, UK

Cited by 108 publications

References 52 publications

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Humans in the Hoxnian: habitat, context and fire use at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

Timing of massive ‘Fleuve Manche’ discharges over the last 350kyr: insights into the European ice-sheet oscillations and the European drainage network from MIS 10 to 2

An enhanced record of MIS 9 environments, geochronology and geoarchaeology: data from construction of the High Speed 1 (London–Channel Tunnel) rail-link and other recent investigations at Purfleet, Essex, UK

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