OSL Chronicles: Questioning Time in the Geological Tale of the Avon Valley
Introduction
In delving into the Quaternary deposits of the Avon Valley, a rich tapestry of geological history unfolds, challenging conventional perceptions and demanding a nuanced understanding. Among the varied deposits, including clay-with-flints, head, gravelly head, river terrace deposits, brickearth, and occasional peat, the clay-with-flint stands out as a residual deposit shaped by the modification of Palaeogene sediments and the dissolution of the underlying chalk. (OSL Chronicles: Questioning Time in the Geological Tale of the Avon Valley)
The age of these deposits remains a subject of uncertainty, though there’s a prevailing notion that clay-with-flint deposits in southwest England likely date back to the Pleistocene era. Perched atop hilltop flats, these deposits, alongside older head deposits formed through solifluction and the solution of underlying layers, paint a dynamic picture of geological evolution. The landscape tells tales of hillsides shaped by natural processes, offering glimpses into the Earth’s ancient transformations.
As we descend into the valley, encountering ‘head gravel,’ ‘gravelly head,’ and ‘head,’ the remnants of fluvial transport, hill wash, hill creep, and solifluction emerge. Each layer tells a story of a landscape molded by the forces of water, a testament to the intricate dance between terrain and river dynamics. The river terraces, a flight of 14, exhibit a remarkable geological history, spreading wide and standing tall above the Avon valley floor, pointing to the draped deposition of terraces over the landscape.

The constant thickness of these terraces along the valley signifies a system influenced by sediment overloading from upstream and contributions from tributaries. The mechanisms involved, including lateral erosion and redeposition of fluvial sediments, paint a vivid picture of the intricate dance of geological processes. This dynamic interaction between rivers and their surroundings challenges simplistic narratives tied to Milankovitch cycles, urging a more nuanced understanding of terrace formation in the Avon Valley.
River Terraces
Diving deeper into the historical context, the discussion extends to pre-Quaternary geology, with terraces labeled T5 to T10 in the Hampshire basin, indicating the complexity of the geological narrative. The dating of these terraces, often obscured by a lack of comprehensive research, unveils a need for a more thorough investigation into the ancient past. Organic remains found within the terraces, assigned to different interglacial periods, offer glimpses into ancient climates and environments.

However, the narrative takes a twist with a recent publication challenging previous dating methods. The application of Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating brings forth results that question traditional interpretations. The inconsistency and seemingly random nature of the OSL ages for different terraces raise doubts about the accuracy of the method. The debate around the accuracy of OSL, akin to the historical debates around radiocarbon dating, emphasises the evolving nature of scientific methods.
The complexity of dating terraces is further underscored by discrepancies between OSL and carbon dating, revealing potential anomalies in age estimates. Questions emerge about the accuracy of the OSL method and the need for ongoing refinement and validation. The recognition of discrepancies between upper and lower catchments adds layers of intricacy to the geological narrative, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced understanding.

In conclusion, the exploration of the Avon Valley’s Quaternary deposits reveals a dynamic interplay of geological forces, challenging simplistic narratives and inviting a deeper understanding. From the intricacies of clay-with-flint formations to the geological dance shaping river terraces, each layer tells a story of Earth’s evolution. The uncertainties in dating methods, highlighted by the OSL results, beckon for continuous refinement and scrutiny. The Avon Valley’s geological narrative, like an open book, invites scientists to read between the lines and uncover the hidden stories of our planet’s past.
But there is on thing that we now understand is that the River Terraces of the Avon we flooded in ‘recent times’ and this would have a profound effect on the peoples of this area and a clue to the construction of the sites that were on the shorelines of these raised rivers of the past. (OSL Chronicles: Questioning Time in the Geological Tale of the Avon Valley)
More information on the River Avon can be found at: https://youtu.be/j5LJ2sGcKOA
Further Reading
For information about British Prehistory, visit www.prehistoric-britain.co.uk for the most extensive archaeology blogs and investigations collection, including modern LiDAR reports. This site also includes extracts and articles from the Robert John Langdon Trilogy about Britain in the Prehistoric period, including titles such as The Stonehenge Enigma, Dawn of the Lost Civilisation and the ultimate proof of Post Glacial Flooding and the landscape we see today.
Robert John Langdon has also created a YouTube web channel with over 100 investigations and video documentaries to support his classic trilogy (Prehistoric Britain). He has also released a collection of strange coincidences that he calls ‘13 Things that Don’t Make Sense in History’ and his recent discovery of a lost Stone Avenue at Avebury in Wiltshire called ‘Silbury Avenue – the Lost Stone Avenue’.
Langdon has also produced a series of ‘shorts’, which are extracts from his main body of books:
For active discussions on the findings of the TRILOGY and recent LiDAR investigations that are published on our WEBSITE, you can join our and leave a message or join the debate on our Facebook Group.
(OSL Chronicles: Questioning Time in the Geological Tale of the Avon Valley)
More Blogs
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- AI now Supports – Homo Superior
- AI now supports my Post-Glacial Flooding Hypothesis
- Alexander the Great sailed into India – where no rivers exist today
- Ancient Prehistoric Canals – The Vallum
- Ancient Secrets of Althorp – debunked
- Antler Picks built Ancient Monuments – yet there is no real evidence
- Antonine Wall – Prehistoric Canals (Dykes)
- Archaeological ‘pulp fiction’ – has archaeology turned from science?
- Archaeological Pseudoscience
- Archaeology in the Post-Truth Era
- Archaeology: A Bad Science?
- Archaeology: Fact or Fiction?
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- ATLANTIS: Discovery with Dan Snow Debunked
- Avebury Ditch – Avebury Phase 2
- Avebury Post-Glacial Flooding
- Avebury through time
- Avebury’s great mystery revealed
- Avebury’s Lost Stone Avenue – Flipbook
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- Caerfai promontory fort – archaeological nonsense
- Car Dyke – ABC News PodCast
- Car Dyke – North Section
- CASE STUDY – An Inconvenient TRUTH (Craig Rhos Y Felin)
- Case Study – River Avon
- Case Study – Woodhenge Reconstruction
- Chapter 2 – Craig Rhos-Y-Felin Debunked
- Chapter 2 – Stonehenge Phase I
- Chapter 2 – Variation of the Species
- Chapter 3 – Post Glacial Sea Levels
- Chapter 3 – Stonehenge Phase II
- Chapter 7 – Britain’s Post-Glacial Flooding
- Cissbury Ring through time
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- Darwin’s Children – Flipbook
- Darwin’s Children – The Cro-Magnons
- Dawn of the Lost Civilisation – Flipbook
- Dawn of the Lost Civilisation – Introduction
- Digging for Britain – Cerne Abbas 1 of 2
- Digging for Britain Debunked – Cerne Abbas 2
- Digging Up Britain’s Past – Debunked
- DLC Chapter 1 – The Ascent of Man
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- Dykes Ditches and Earthworks
- DYKES of Britain
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g
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- Hadrian’s Wall – Military Way Hoax
- Hadrian’s Wall – the Stanegate Hoax
- Hadrian’s Wall LiDAR investigation
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- Homo Superior – Flipbook
- Homo Superior – History’s Giants
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m
- Maiden Castle through time
- Maritime Diffusion Model for Megaliths in Europe: A Groundbreaking Study
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- Pillow Mounds: A Bronze Age Legacy of Cremation?
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- Prehistoric Canals (Dykes) – Offa’s Dyke (LiDAR Survey)
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- Prehistoric Canals Wansdyke 2
- Professor Bonkers and the mad, mad World of Archaeology
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- Sea Level Changes
- Section A – NY26SW
- Section B – NY25NE & NY26SE
- Section C – NY35NW
- Section D – NY35NE
- Section E – NY46SW & NY45NW
- Section F – NY46SE & NY45NE
- Section G – NY56SW
- Section H – NY56NE & NY56SE
- Section I – NY66NW
- Section J – NY66NE
- Section K – NY76NW
- Section L – NY76NE
- Section M – NY87SW & NY86NW
- Section N – NY87SE
- Section O – NY97SW & NY96NW
- Section P – NY96NE
- Section Q – NZ06NW
- Section R – NZ06NE
- Section S – NZ16NW
- Section T – NZ16NE
- Section U – NZ26NW & NZ26SW
- Section V – NZ26NE & NZ26SE
- Silbury Avenue – Avebury’s First Stone Avenue
- Silbury Hill
- Silbury Hill / Sanctuary – Avebury Phase 3
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- Stonehenge Hoax – Dating the Monument
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- Stonehenge: Discovery with Dan Snow Debunked
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- The Maths – LGM total ice volume
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- The Post-Glacial Flooding Hypothesis – Flipbook
- The Post-Glacial Flooding Theory
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- The Rise of the Cro-Magnon (Homo Superior)
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- The Stonehenge Hoax – Moving the Bluestones
- The Stonehenge Hoax – Periglacial Stripes
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- The Stonehenge Hoax – The Slaughter Stone
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- The Stonehenge Hoax – Woodhenge
- The Stonehenge Hospital
- The Troy, Hyperborea and Atlantis Connection
- The Vallum @ Hadrian’s Wall – it’s Prehistoric!
- The Woodhenge Hoax
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- TSE – DVD Barrows
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- TSE DVD – Avebury
- TSE DVD – Durrington Walls & Woodhenge
- TSE DVD – Dykes
- TSE DVD – Epilogue
- TSE DVD – Stonehenge Phase I
- TSE DVD – Stonehenge Phase II
- TSE DVD – The Post-Glacial Hypothesis
- TSE DVD Introduction
- TSE DVD Old Sarum
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- Wansdyke – Short Film
- Wansdyke East – Prehistoric Canals
- Wansdyke Flipbook
- Wansdyke LiDAR Flyover
- Wansdyke: A British Frontier Wall – ‘Debunked’
- Was Columbus the first European to reach America?
- White Sheet Camp
- Why a Simple Fence Beats a Massive Dyke (and What That Means for History)
- Windmill Hill – Avebury Phase 1
- Winter Solstice – Science, Propaganda and Indoctrination
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