A geoarchaeological approach to the evolution of the town and port of Dover: Prehistoric to Saxon periods

Dover is located at the mouth of a narrow valley that forms the only significant break in almost 20 km of chalk cliffs along the Kentish Channel coast. This, together with the close proximity of the Continent, has ensured the site's standing as a port since pre-Roman times. However, little is known of the sequence of events associated with the transformation of the area since the later prehistoric period, and in particular the evolution of the harbour which has had at least four different locations. Work to regenerate central Dover has however provided opportunities to address these issues and we report here on geological evidence for harbour development and coastal change from the middle Holocene period to the present day.Foraminifera and ostracods recovered from boreholes and excavations in the town centre allow patterns of sedimentation to be identified and linked to archaeological finds such as the Dover Bronze Age Boat and Roman harbour installations. Radiocarbon dating, and archaeological spot-dating provides a chronological framework for these changes. In particular the later Prehistoric environments and their transformation to estuarine environments by the time of Roman activity in the area are examined (including the role of sea level change and coastal erosion). The history of sedimentation within the Roman harbour and the role played by human activity in accelerating sedimentation in the old valley mouth is also considered. Finally dune formation across former estuarine habitats is documented in the Anglo-Saxon period creating the topographic template on which the modern town is based.