The palaeochannel record in the Trent Valley UK: contributions towards cultural heritage management

Steve Baker

formerly Project Archaeologist, ARCUS. Email steve.baker@derbyshire.gov.uk

Summary

The Trent Valley is one of Britain's major river systems, and the dynamic history of the river has produced a rich and varied palaeochannel record. This paper reports on a catchment-scale survey of surface-visible palaeochannels within the Holocene floodplain of the Trent, using aerial photographs as a primary data source. This is an important contribution towards comprehensive geomorphological mapping of the Trent floodplain. In addition, the GIS database produced by the survey has enabled a significant part of the palaeoenvironmental resource in the valley to be located within the archaeological cultural resource management framework for the first time. The catchment scale of the survey has allowed analysis of changing geomorphology and land-use along the course of the valley, and the implications of these factors for the preservation and visibility of palaeochannels in different zones.

Rectified aerial photograph in map context showing surface-visibility of fluvial features

This article has been published with financial assistance from the English Heritage Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF).

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