This chapter is concerned with the palaeoenvironmental and archaeological record that has been derived from terrace gravels and associated sediments. In these contexts archaeological sites are generally either accumulations of derived artifacts or concentrations of discarded tools associated with temporary camps. The cultures responsible are predominantly non-agricultural and although they undoubtedly had impacts on the environment, floodplains were essentially natural. The combination of geology, geomorphology and archaeology needed to study these sites is typical of the sub-discipline of geoarchaeology and alluvial geoarchaeological studies from both North America and Australia are described here as the clearest examples of this type of archaeology. The multi-disciplinary approach is exemplified by the Thames, England; however, the palaeoenvironmental data have been accumulated over many years, leading, unsurprisingly, to variations in coverage and quality which make unrealistic a definitive Pleistocene and archaeological history of this and other rivers. Instead, the discovery and excavation of new sites will lead to the revision (or abandonment) of current models (Gibbard, 1994; Bridgland, 1994) just as they revised models before them (King and Oakley, 1936).

Palaeolithic terrace sites and floodplain use

Artifacts and bones from river gravels form some of the earliest evidence of the peopling of North America and Australasia. The archaeology of the Palaeolithic in Europe is also predominantly derived from terrace gravels, caves and rock fissures.