Abstract
Archaeological excavation of barrows in the St Neot Valley on the southern flanks of Bodmin Moor revealed buried soils developed in the gravelly granitic head typical of the upland block. By comparing these soil profiles with adjacent soils we have obtained evidence for and now describe dramatic prehistoric changes in upland soils and vegetation attributed previously to various combinations of human influences and climatic events. Direct pedological and palaeoecological evidence supports the theory that brown soils existed in pre-Bronze Age times in southwestern England at a site subsequently developing an iron pan (Bf) and accumulating a strongly acid peaty surface.
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Maltby, E., Caseldine, C. Prehistoric soil and vegetation development on Bodmin Moor, southwestern England. Nature 297, 397–400 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297397a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297397a0
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