Kirsty High a and Zoë Hazell b a: Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York; [email protected] @KirstyHigh @ZedHazell b: Historic , Fort Cumberland, Portsmouth, Hampshire; [email protected]

Archaeological – Palaeoecological – Ecological connections in wetlands The waterlogged conditions that make wetland sites so important in terms of modern ecology also result in the exceptional preservation of organic deposits at depth. These organic materials include organic archaeology and palaeoecological remains that are rarely Meadowsweet (Filipendula) Iron Age charred grain at pollen (© Global Pollen Project) Must Farm found elsewhere. The value of this evidence in reconstructing past economies, landscapes and environmental conditions cannot be underestimated. The close connections between the Archaeological – Palaeoecological – Ecological communities are particularly evident at wetland sites, where the quality and abundance of organic remains present Sordaria sp. dung fungal Tephra (volcanic ash) sherds spore indicative of grazing many opportunities to explore and develop interdisciplinary relationships. (© Z Hazell) animals (© M Perez) Case study 1: Case study 2: Case study 3: The Levels Whitehorse Hill, Devon Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire There are at least 53 prehistoric sites in Somerset's In 2011 emergency excavations were carried out on As part of a Historic England project, Wicken Fen peat moors, as well as the associated record of a Scheduled Bronze Age cist, eroding out of a was identified as one of England’s top ‘Exceptional Holocene climate change1. blanket peat face at Whitehorse Hill4. wetland heritage’ sites5,6 selected for its diverse The is a 2 km- Preserved within the and interesting mix of values. These include: long Neolithic trackway, chamber were the Historical: It was Britain’s linking places within the remains of a cremation ‘first nature reserve’, prehistoric landscape. burial consisting of created on land purchased Integrated archaeological and artefactual and by Octavia Hill in 1899; palaeoecological study of the archaeo-environmental pioneering British natural track has revealed a wealth of The eroding burial cist and adjacent history research was remains. They included sampled peat profile at Whitehorse A reconstruction of the information about human Hill c 600m OD (North Dartmoor SSSI) undertaken here (e.g. Sweet Track, located at human bone and wood (© Historic England). Shapwick Heath, Somerset. interactions with the charcoal from the Godwin, Tansley). Excavations have revealed Heritage landscape: A relict various artefacts as well as environment during the cremation itself, together with flints, beads, palaeoecological data. Neolithic period 2. landscape, with a history of worked wood, and basketry; some of which were Normans Mill, a Grade II listed Integrated environmental wrapped up within a bear pelt. traditional management wind pump; originally used to practises e.g. peat cutting drain peat digging works, but investigations at In order to investigate now (re-located) and used to Lake Village for fuel; sedge and reed pump water onto the fen the environmental (© Z Hazell). allowed reconstruction of setting of the burial cultivation; canals; water the environment chamber at the time of management; hunting. surrounding the settlement. its construction, a series Ecological: There is a very high degree of modern Variations in water levels of samples were taken biodiversity, incl. rare and/or endangered species; A selection of artefacts from the as such it has multiple nature conservation have been identified, Iron Age ‘Glastonbury Lake burial. The spindle-wood artefacts from the peat deposit enhancing understanding of Village’ was initially excavated are the earliest evidence of wood- designations incl. NNR, SSSI, and Ramsar. c1900; exposure of the turning in the British Isles (© DNPA). immediately adjacent to why the site was waterlogged wood remains will Palaeoecological: Palaeoenvironmental records have affected their long term the cist. abandoned3. condition (© Historic England). Multiple analyses were undertaken including: and radiocarbon dates have been obtained from Intensive land drainage and peat cutting in pollen, micro-charcoal, fungal spores and plant the peat deposits7,8. Somerset pose an immediate threat to the cultural macrofossil remains. A chronology was produced Amenity value: The site has a high level of deposits. A 500m section of the Sweet Track is now using radiocarbon dating and tephra. importance for recreation and educational use. preserved within a nature reserve created primarily Pollen recovered from sediments in the cist itself The site requires constant active management; of for this reason, transforming old peat cuttings into suggest the use of meadowsweet as a floral tribute the hydrology (water pumping, ditch de-silting) and reedbeds. and also provide an indication of seasonality. through vegetation clearance (e.g. by grazing).

Left: Deteriorated antler excavated from Star Carr; a site once yielding a Wetland cultural deposits at risk wealth of well-preserved archaeological and environmental These valuable archives are preserved primarily due to a lack of oxygen; as such they are evidence. Deterioration was caused 1, 10 by land drainage 9,10. vulnerable to environmental changes, particularly desiccation . However, the risks to the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental archive are often over-looked when managing Right: Sedge Fen (part of Wicken Fen) is elevated wetlands from an ecological perspective, despite the common desire for long term above the surrounding water-table. In order to preservation. prevent it drying out, an artificially-high water- Better integration between the three communities, and better understanding of the table is maintained by pumping water from Above: In 2017 dipwells were processes involved in deterioration, is vital in developing approaches that protect both Monk’s Lode. An installed at Flag Fen to monitor the impermeable membrane water-table. A condition cultural heritage and ecological considerations in wetlands. Recognising the importance of helps minimise seepage. assessment of the organic remains Water chemistry is equally important; the (incl. wood) will establish a the shared values, and connections between the three research communities highlights pumped water is calcareous, thereby preventing baseline value acidification of the site (from acidic rainwater) (© Historic England). the need to better protect these unique resources in the face of environmental change. (© Z Hazell). References 1: Brunning, R. 2012. Conservation MGMT of Arch. Sites 14:1-4; 2: Brunning, R. 2013. Somerset’s Peatland Archaeology, Oxbow books; 3: Aalbersberg, G. & Brown, T. 2011. J Wetland Arch. 10: 136-151; 4: Jones, A. 2017, Current Archaeology 322:34-40; 5: Heathcote, J. & Campbell, G. 2013. Historic England Research Report 85/2013; 6: Hazell, Z. 2014. Wicken Fen: Statement of Significance; Historic England; 7: Godwin, H. 1940. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 230: 239-303; 8: Peglar, S. 1994, in East Anglian Archaeology 70:114-118; 9: Milner, N. et al., 2011. J Arch. Sci. 38:2818-2832; 10: High, K. et al., 2016. PNAS 10:1073