Seabed Prehistory: Site Evaluation Techniques (Area 240) Synthesis

Wessex Archaeology (WA) was funded by English Heritage (EH), through the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF), to conduct a project concerning the application of geophysical, geotechnical and seabed sampling methodologies to marine aggregate deposits that have been demonstrated to contain potential pre-Devensian or Devensian artefactual material. Artefactual material, including hand axes, flakes and cores were recovered, along with faunal remains (including bison, mammoth, horse and reindeer) in 2008 from aggregate extraction Area 240 (licensed to Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd. (HAML)), situated approximately 11km off the coast of Great Yarmouth. The principal aim of the project is to improve the future management of the potential effects of aggregate dredging on the marine historic environment by developing techniques to evaluate the source of prehistoric artefactual material discovered in the East Coast region. This report presents the synthesis of all stages of the Seabed Prehistory: Site Evaluation Techniques (Area 240) project. Specifically, this report comprises an overview of the methodologies used throughout the project; an evaluation of the techniques used and assessment of the staged approach used in the development of the project. A characterisation of Area 240 is presented with reference to the date, extent, quality, preservation of the sediment deposits and associated archaeological material. Finally, the report presents the local and regional implications of the results for marine aggregate licensing which will inform English Heritage and allow for the future management of Area 240 and other similar sites in the future.