Elizabeth Joanna Jackson
2325589j@student.gla.ac.uk
Research title: Bread and fishes: A fine resolution pollen and NPP study: Tracing the scale of Mesolithic activity at Machrie Moor, Arran and its importance at the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition
Research Summary
The aim of this project is to create a detailed pollen diagram covering Machrie Moor, Arran from the late glacial to the present. The period of the Mesolithic and the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition being of particular interest.
It is anticipated the resulting data will allow an exploration of the timing of early agriculture, and Mesolithic era anthropogenic disturbances in this area of Arran.
As well as recording pollen, charcoal, and NPP data, this project will also search for cryptotephra. This cryptotephra will be used to verify any radiocarbon age-depth profile. It is further hoped that these results could be used to syncronise the paleoenvironmental data from this research with other sites in Scotland containing cryptotephra.
I am currently working through enough slides to create a skeleton pollen diagram. This is really enjoyable and I have already found some really interesting species including Holly, Ivy and some fantastic examples of Plantago Lanceolata.
Supervisors
External supervisors
Doctor Anthony Newton (University Of Edinburgh)
