Conflicting imaginations: Archaeology, anthropology and geomorphology on Leskernick Hill, Bodmin Moor, southwest Britain

In this paper we view the different practices of archaeology, anthropology, environmental reconstruction and geomorphology through the lens of fieldwork on the clitter fields and Bronze Age settlement patterns on Leskernick Hill, Bodmin Moor, southwest Britain. The moor forms one of the best preserved fossil prehistoric landscapes of Europe and has undergone repeated periglacial episodes during the Quaternary. We show that the characterisation of patterned ground by archaeologists and anthropologists can be very different from that generated by geomorphology, particularly with respect to the spatial scales at which culture/nature questions are posed. We argue that the research project at Leskernick is a good example of how multi-disciplinary work is often more fruitful than mono-disciplinary and provides an example of how conversations across the divides of disciplinary practice can be held.     

Late devensian ice sheet in the western Grampians,Scotland

A radial pattern of ice flow of the last ice sheet in the largest source area of ice (c. 5000 km²) in the British Isles in western Scotland is demonstrated by the dispersal of indicator erratics and by patterns of striae, friction cracks and ice-moulded landforms. Three major ice domes and the principal ice divide are identified in the western Grampians. The ice domes coincided with the highest mountain blocks while it is inferred that the alignment of many of the pre-existing valleys controlled much of the outflow of ice, forming ice streams within the ice sheet. The importance of the Rannoch Moor basin as a radial provider of ice to surrounding areas was apparently less significant than has hitherto been considered. Ice flowed into and across the southern part of the basin from the principal ice divide located to the west and south. No evidence has yet been found that would support a model of an eastward-migrating ice divide either during the build-up or during the deglaciation of the Late Devensian ice sheet.     

Scale‐dependency of hydraulic conductivity: an example from Thorne Moor,a raised mire in South Yorkshire,UK

The hydraulic conductivity (K) of many low permeability materials is strongly scale‐dependent. In raised mires and other types of peat deposit the effects of features such as abandoned infilled ditches, root holes and localized woody material, cause K to be heterogeneous and scale‐dependent. Despite this, field measurements are routinely made using auger hole (slug) tests at the scale of only a few tens of centimetres. Such measurements are locally valid, but where the regional subsurface movement of water through peat bogs is simulated using groundwater models, typically at the scale of hundreds of metres, they give rise to a systematic underestimate of flows and an overprediction of water table elevations. Until now, techniques to obtain values at a scale sufficiently large to include the effects of localized features of higher permeability have not been applied routinely. Research at Thorne Moor, a large raised mire, demonstrates that the K of peat varies over several orders of magnitude when measured at different scales, using a variety of techniques. Laboratory and auger hole tests cannot be relied upon to provide results that represent the hydraulic conductivity of large expanses of peatland. This has significant implications for the management and long‐term restoration of peatlands where both regional and local control of water levels is crucial. For groundwater models to be used successfully to plan such schemes, it is essential to apply the K values relevant to the scale of the simulation. This paper describes and tests novel techniques, using ditches, for the derivation of K at large scales which overcome many of the problems that have been identified with conventional techniques and are capable of producing estimates that are appropriate to the application of physically based regional flow models. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The provenance,petrology and sedimentology of building stone in Bromyard,Herefordshire, UK

A multi-disciplinary study was undertaken of the Lower Old Red Sandstone building stones of Bromyard, Bromyard Downs and Bringsty Common, Herefordshire, UK, to trace their original quarry sources. 196 stone structures were recorded in detail and 3 broad lithological groups recognised. Combining old maps, archival sources, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and testimony of local residents, the historic quarries in the area have been mapped. Field studies of the geology of quarries and outcrops have established the area of origin of two distinctive coarse grained lithologies. Intraformational conglomerates have been demonstrated, with some confidence, to be derived from Bromyard itself. Coarse, pebbly, quartzose sandstones have been traced to Bringsty Common and shown to be used only in the church in Bromyard before the 20th century. The origins of fine grained sandstone are found to be more complex. Through a combination of fieldwork and archival research, Clater Park Quarry is indicated as the origin of high quality green sandstones in Bromyard. 15 samples of sandstone from the Bromyard Downs, have been petrographically analysed by point counting to determine their clastic and mineralogical proportions. Early results of this analysis are presented which show modal variation in lithics, feldspars and cements that may serve to link quarries to buildings. Finally, it is suggested that at least some of the diversity of stone present in Bromyard is the result of slight variation in depositional processes in the immediately underlying bedrock.     

Variable weathering response in sandstone: factors controlling decay sequences

Differences in weathering response characteristics of fine‐ and coarse‐grained Stanton Moor sandstone samples were assessed in a laboratory weathering simulation experiment using a variable combination of salt weathering and freeze/thaw cycles. Preliminary analysis of permeability characteristics identified similar mean values for each type of Stanton sandstone but significant differences in the range of values between the two sample sets, with coarse‐grained samples of Stanton Moor sandstone displaying a restricted range of values in comparison to fine‐grained samples which showed much greater within‐block variation. Data indicated that the greater the range in initial permeability values, the greater the potential for salt and moisture ingress and retention and hence eventual disruption of the fabric of the stone. Experimental data also identified different stages in decay sequences, with significant structural change occurring during the initial preparatory stage before material breakdown and loss became apparent. Evidence suggests that relatively minor structural and mineralogical differences between samples of the same stone type can have a significant influence on weathering behaviour, resulting in distinct rates and patterns of breakdown. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geostatistical analysis in weathering studies: case study for Stanton Moor building sandstone

Geostatistical techniques for spatial prediction and spatial simulation have been used in an innovative application to the study of weathering of natural building stone. The study investigates the differences in the spatial variation of permeability characteristics between fine‐ and coarse‐grained Stanton Moor building sandstone. Non‐destructive permeability measurements, using an unsteady‐state Portable Probe Permeameter, were made on three adjacent faces of two cubic blocks representative of fine‐ to medium‐grained and medium‐ to coarse‐grained Stanton Moor Sandstone. The findings provide greater understanding in the investigation of the durability characteristics of the Stanton Moor Sandstone and show that the spatial distribution and variability of permeability is more important in predicting the overall strength and weathering properties than mean permeability and absolute minimum and maximum values. The results suggest that both primary textural characteristics (such as grain size) and extent of cementation appear to be important factors in determining the overall durability properties of Stanton Moor Sandstone as a building stone. Geostatistical analysis has been shown to be an important tool in the characterization of spatial variation for the investigation of weathering of building stones. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.