The Archaeological Potential of Secondary Contexts

Module 7 - Outline of Research

Module 7 assesses the potential for the reconstruction of Middle Pleistocene riverine palaeo-environments and landscapes, on the basis of the biological data that occurs within archaeological secondary contexts (fluvial sedimentary sequences). The assessment focuses upon:

1. The identification of biological data sources with the potential for reconstructing riverine palaeo-environments.

2. The relative potential of the different data sources, based on the frequency of their occurrence within the geoarchaeological record and the logistics of sampling and sample processing.

3. The spatio-temporal resolution of the different biological data sources, mapped against different scales of hominid behaviour.

4. Relationships between palaeo-environmental data and current research questions prevalent in studies of Pleistocene hominids.

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