A panyological study of the impact of man on the landscape of central Southern England, with special reference to the chalklands

Abstract

The sequence from Winchester provides evidence for the Boreal and Atlantic woodland of the chalk and exhibits an early Ulmus decline clearance. Open conditions appear to have prevailed in at least this area of the Hampshire Downs since the Early Neolithic. The Snelsmore data show that from the end of the UImus decline clearance, woodland was a more common feature of the local landscape.

The peripheral sites in general exhibit phases of woodland clearance and regeneration similar to sites elsewhere in Britain. At several of these peripheral sites there is a good correlation between the chronology of episodes in the pollen diagrams and archaeological events on the chalklands, although the representation of pollen from vegetation on the chalk outcrop may have been low. The rapidly accumulating peat at Rimsmoor shows clearance episodes in considerable detail and at Kingswood a phase of Mesolithic disturbance may be recorded.

It is proposed that certain areas of the chalk, such as that around Winchester, have been characterised by an essentially open landscape since the Early Neolithic. In other areas, however, as perhaps typified by the Snelsmore analysis, woodland was more common. Edaphlc and socio-economic reasons are advanced for these differences.

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