|
|
This glossary is principally designed to support the project's short booklet (The Palaeolithic Rivers of South-West Britain), a pdf copy of which is also available here.
The last glacial (see below) of the British Pleistocene, lasting between c. 70,000 BP–10,000 years ago.
The part of a river, next to the channel, over which the river flows during periods of flooding.
Often more commonly referred to as an ‘ice age’, a glacial is a geological period of time during which the climate cooled significantly (a glacial is a cold phase) and Britain was at least partially covered in glacier ice.
The group of species in the human evolutionary tree, including (but not limited to) modern humans (present in Britain during the Upper Palaeolithic) and their predecessors, the Neanderthals (present during the Middle Palaeolithic) and Homo heidelbergensis (present during the Lower Palaeolithic).
A geological period of time between two glacial periods when the climate warmed significantly (an interglacial is a temperate phase), and temperatures were similar to those of the present day.
Palaeolithic
An archaeological period (also known as the Old Stone Age), lasting in Britain from c. 700,000 years ago to c. 10,000 years ago. It is sub-divided into three periods: Lower (c. 700,000–250,000 years ago; Middle (c. 250,000–40,000 years ago) and Upper (c. 40,000–10,000 years ago).
A geological period which started about 1.6 million years ago and ended after the Devensian (see above) at 10,000 years ago. It consists of a series of glacials and interglacials (see above).
The relict of an ancient river floodplain, found above the modern floodplain on the sides of river valleys. Terrace sediments are dominated by gravels and sands.
Go back to Introduction
|
staff
=