Historic Landscape Consultancy
Knowledge of the surrounding landscape is central to understanding the context of any archaeological site. This is true of any type of development from a large-scale rural development to a new building in an urban setting. By appreciating how the landscape may have been viewed, managed and utilised by the former occupants of the site we can gain an insight into the position of other sites in proximity and the possible usage of the site itself. This has advantages not just for locating new sites, but also for informing the project team on the former use of the site.
Client Advantage
The advantages to the client of using this method are a representation of their site throughout the prehistoric and historic periods and the ability to overlay development plans on to the model to determine how they can use the historic environment to enhance their development. By creating the model early in the process, savings can be made; areas of high archaeological potential can be quickly identified and mitigated against, either by changing the design or by adjusting the time and budgets accordingly.
Methods
Historic landscape study uses a number of different techniques, these include a combination of the examination of the natural topographical features, historical mapping, aerial/satellite photography, analysis of the changing river and waterway patterns, historic landscape characterisation and also historical documents. By combining these methods with below ground survey (for example geotechnical boreholes) it is also possible to create a picture of the prehistoric landscape to understand the site and predict where previously unknown sites may be.
3D Modelling
In addition, if a 3D model is created, the results can be used to visualise the site as it is today. This can be used in visibility impact analysis, or as screenshots for promotional documentation.