Archaeology

Question 1

What age and fossil can be found in the pyramid limestones?

Answer 1

Eocene Nummulites

Question 2

How are microfossils used in Archaeology?

Answer 2

They show where geographically artifacts are from due to the local lithologies used
Example: Iron age pottery

Question 3

How old is burrough hill?

Answer 3

Neolithic late iron age

Question 4

What lithologies lie under borrough hill?

Answer 4

Whitley mudstone Fm. and Charnworth mudstone Fm.

Question 5

Describe the geological context around the hill fort?

Answer 5

• Whitley mudstone Fm. and Charnworth mudstone Fm.
• Oadby till has white specks of chalk containing microfossils (ostracod, forams, echinoderms), pentagrinus (crinoid ossicles) brought down by icesheet from east coast

Question 6

What did a vase have in common with the local geology?

Answer 6

• Iron age pottery contains microfossils from clay used, taphanomic signature of Jurassic
• Roman pottery doesnt have fossils in, using different material
• After romans pottery has fossils in again

Question 7

How do we know the Romans imported materials unlike the locals?

Answer 7

• They used their road networks to transport chalk for their mosaics from the south coast
• You can work out the age of any chalk building (not always soft) around britain as the nearest source of chalk was not always utilised

Question 8

What age is Wallingford castle?

Answer 8

Medieval - two different lithologies, used glauconitic marl for gun emplacements