2014, Wessex Archaeology, Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, Stages 1 to 3 Geoarchaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Assessment
series
https://portal.medin.org.uk/portal/start.php?tpc=015_f67ecc6d-4fd4-4b30-a018-d60fb70b001d
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Royal Haskoning DHV to undertake Stage 1 to 3
geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental assessment of borehole samples from the site of the
proposed Dudgeon Offshore Windfarm.
The Stage 1 work comprised the assessment of 27 borehole logs and 32 CPT (Cone Penetrometer
Test) logs. The Stage 2 work comprised the geoarchaeological recording and subsampling of 63
samples from 6 boreholes (BH06, BH13, BH15, BH19A, BH21 and BH25). The following
geological formations were interpreted from the Stage 1 and 2 work:
• Chalk Bedrock
• Swarte Bank Formation
• Egmond Ground Formation
• Bolders Bank Formation
• Holocene terrestrial sediments
• Seabed Sediment
The Pleistocene sediments including the Swarte Bank, Egmond Ground and Bolders Bank
formation were identified as glacial and shallow marine deposits thought to have been deposited
during the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic archaeological periods. The Holocene terrestrial
sediments were subjected to Stage 3 palaeoenvironmental assessment with two boreholes BH06
and BH21 providing the focus for study. Assessment for pollen, diatoms, foraminifera, ostracods,
plants and molluscs was undertaken in conjunction with radiocarbon dating revealing interesting
freshwater and estuarine environments dating to the Mesolithic archaeological period. In addition,
the dating suggests that sediments within borehole BH06 might also relate to the Storegga slide
tsunami which is thought to have affected Mesolithic communities in the North Sea area around
8100 years ago.
Stage 4 analysis of pollen, foraminifera, ostracods, plants and molluscs and further radiocarbon
dating is recommended in particular to better understand the interesting sediments within borehole
BH06.
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