Abstract/Summary

Early and Late Neolithic, Beaker and Late Bronze Age features excavated on Salisbury Plain were analysed for wood charcoal. The well-preserved assemblages have allowed a useful record of the flora and changing landscape of the area to be established for prehistory, its importance increased by the lack of comparable pollen preservation in these chalklands. Close association with occupation at the sites has allowed reconstruction of use and exploitation of the woodlands. Substantial woody resources have been identified, contrary to the interpretation of molluscan data in the area, adding to the debate on the degree of clearance at this time.