Palaeolithic archaeological potential of Pleistocene deposits in England: a geological mapping approach

The Palaeolithic archaeological potential of Pleistocene deposits in England: a geological mapping approach (Historic England Project 7732) project is intended to enhance resources available to planning authorities in their consideration of the Palaeolithic within the National Planning Policy Framework. The Project will use as its source material: 1/50,000 British Geological Survey superficial geology maps; relevant national archaeological inventories, i.e. the Southern Rivers Palaeolithic Project, English Rivers Palaeolithic Survey, the Gazetteer of Upper Palaeolithic sites in England and Wales and National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE); as well as the archive resulting from Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund-sponsored Palaeolithic research and the published record. The product will be an England-wide online GIS tool for curators comprising Pleistocene superficial geology polygons with appended Palaeolithic archaeological potentials. The latter will be assigned on the basis of prior archaeological knowledge and geological context, while the dataset will be made freely/easily available to planning authorities via the British Geological Survey’s LandFit portal.