Penzance Lecture – Mounts Bay: prehistory of a drowned landscape and its people with Mike Allen

Thursday 21 November 2024, 7.30pm
Queens Hotel, Penzance TR18 4HG

Mike Allen
Mike is an environmental archaeologist and geoarchaeologist who has worked all-over southern England seeking to understand the land use behind settlements and monuments. He was environmental manager at Wessex Archaeology for 20 years before running his own consultancy and building bespoke lab and geoarchaeology facilities during the following 17 years. He undertakes detailed snail, soil and sediment analyses himself, and coordinates work by pollen, diatom, soil, plant charcoal, and radiocarbon specialists. He lectures on Applied Landscape Archaeology at Oxford University and is a Hon. Fellow of Bournemouth University.

Drowning landscapes
This lecture is based on research by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit in the Mounts Bay environs, from coring Marizion Marsh to dry land Bronze Age barrows. Drowning landscapes are hidden by the sea, and difficult to work in so that we can get glimpses of what may have been there. However they are important not only because they represent the loss of areas of settlement but also because this is likely to have led to changes in societal modes and economies. Much of the work by archaeologists to date has looked inland to provide a great glimpse of the past, but perhaps now we show turn round and focus our attention seaward?

Free of charge – pre-booking required
If you are not a CAS Member we welcome a £3.00 donation at the door towards costs.

To book please email: mikecaspz@outlook.com