2010, Wessex Archaeology, Race Bank, Stage 2 Geoarchaeological Recording of Borehole Samples

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Centrica Renewable Energy Ltd. to undertake Stage 2 geoarchaeological recording on borehole samples recovered from the proposed Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm site. This Stage 2 recording follows on from recommendations made in the Stage 1 assessment report, and focuses on the potential for the preservation of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental material in the samples selected during the Stage 1 assessment. Of the previously established stratigraphic sequence, it was found that sediments from Unit 1c and 1d (terrestrial peat, organic clay and silt) contain potentially well-preserved organic material suitable for palaeoenvironmental analysis, and that an eroded and re-deposited section of Unit 2 could also contain similar material. This report makes proposals for the Stage 3 geoarchaeological sub-sampling and assessment of 19 samples (51 sub-samples) taken from nine of the recorded samples from six cores, as Units 1c and 1d are deemed to be of possible archaeological and palaeoenvironmental importance.