Iron age and Roman vegetation clearance in Northern Britain: Further evidence

Abstract

Summary The long-standing debate of whether the Romans faced a wooded landscape when they invaded northern Britain is reassessed in light of new palynological evidence in the Hadrianic-Antonine frontier zone. The radiocarbon-dated pollen diagrams suggest that, except for at Fozy Moss, Northumbria, substantial woodland clearance was already underway prior to the Roman invasion of the area. It is evident that there was considerable spatial and temporal variability in the vegetation cover during the period under consideration.