New Publication Marks End of £262,000 Archeological Study of The Trent Valle

Archaeologists from across the Midlands are celebrating today (Wednesday 16 March) as they reach the final stage of Trent Valley 2002 - a £262,000 archaeology project to record the history of the Trent Valley since the end of the Ice Ages.

Over 20 members of Trent Valley GeoArchaeology, which carried out the project, are meeting today to formally receive their copy of 'Trent Valley Landscapes - The Archaeology of 500,000 Years of Change', a publication written as a result of the extensive research project.

Funded by the Aggregates Sustainability Levy Fund through English Heritage, the publication provides a synthesis of landscape change in the Trent Valley from the arrival of the first hunter-gather communities to the end of the medieval period. It brings together a wide range of cultural and environmental information obtained during archaeological investigations in the region, much of it previously unpublished.

Providing an up-to-date account of research within the Valley it is an unrivalled reference for anyone interested in the history of Trent Valley or for future studies of the impact of human activity upon the natural environment.

Trent Valley 2002 embraced 13 sub-projects, each of which was carried out by particular members of Trent Valley GeoArchaeology acting individually or together, and in mutual support. These sub-projects included mapping ancient river channels and deposits of alluvium in the river valley; enhancing information for the minerals industry and planning policy; enhancing the Sites and Monuments Records held by the local authorities; investigating the use of new techniques; and widening the dissemination of knowledge and understanding of the archaeology in the Trent Valley.

Mike Bishop, Nottinghamshire County Council's Principal Archaeological Officer and Convenor of Trent Valley GeoArchaeology, said:

"This project has brought the cycle of archaeological research in the Trent Valley over the last fifteen years to full turn. It is exciting and pleasurable to see the results of so much valuable work and effort, by so many, recognised and brought together in this publication. It establishes the Trent Valley as one of the most archaeologically important areas of England, and provides a solid foundation and direction for future research. Members of Trent Valley GeoArchaeology are already engaged on a variety of further projects taking forward this research agenda."

Jon Humble, English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments, said:

"The completion of this terrific, ambitious project represents the dawn of a new era for Trent Valley studies. It demonstrates beyond question how our modern landscape is the result of many thousands of years of interaction between people and their environment. Archaeology is not simply about 'the past' - it unwraps the story of change over time. It also tells us a great deal about the present - why and how we are, who we are."

Trent Valley GeoArchaeology is an informal co-operative of researchers and stakeholders with interests in the human and physical history of the Trent Valley and the management of its historic environment.

Currently its membership comes from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire County Councils, the Universities of Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham and Loughborough, the Trent and Peak Archaeological Trust, the University of Leicester Archaeological Service, York Archaeological Trust, English Heritage, the Environment Agency, Defra, The Quarry Products Association and British Geological Survey.

This group was formed in 2001 to promote and support research initiatives, provide a forum for advice and information, and publicise the archaeology and palaeoenvironmental resource of the Trent Valley.