Plant Macrofossils from Waterlogged Bronze Age Palaeochannels and a Burnt Mound at Willow Farm, Castle Donington, Leicestershire (XA14.1997)

Waterlogged deposits were investigated during the project carried out by ULAS in order to provide information about the ancient environment. In the evaluation stage of the project two sections of palaeochannels were revealed and investigated. A further section of a palaeochannel was found adjacent to a burnt mound during excavations of the north area of the site. Charred plant remains from the features were recorded in a separate report. These three palaeochannel sections were seen to contain waterlogged organic material and so were sampled for pollen using monolith tins, and for insects and plant macrofossils by taking bulk samples next to the columns. Samples were also taken from the same deposits for radiocarbon dating of the organic remains giving Bronze Age dates. The evidence from these three types of remains for the environment and the burnt mound site was discussed. The plant macrofossils, thought to be derived from near the water course, were considered together with the conclusions from insect remains analysed by David Smith, and used to describe the local conditions and vegetation. This was then considered with the conclusions from the pollen analysis by Frances Green, which was of pollen from both nearby and further afield contributing to conclusions about the wider area surrounding the site. The samples provided the opportunity to recover evidence of the environment to add to the regional picture and were compared with other sites of Bronze Age date. [Taken from introduction]