[Original backgrounds and aims]

Background:-

The Boulder Clays (or Tills) of Holderness were deposited by the Ice Ages of the late Quaternary by glaciers that had traveled from the Lake District, Scotland, Northern England and Scandinavia. We have evidence for this from the erratic rocks and fossils that can now be found in Holderness (Horne & Harrison 1992, Horne 2000, Rockett 1992). Three Tills have been identified - the Withernsea Till, Skipsea Till and Basement Till (Horne, Rockett and Whitham 2000).

As part of an ongoing research project into the Quaternary geology of Flamborough Head a thinly layered clay has been found underlying the Till. It contains no microfossils (Horne unpublished) and no pollen (B Gearey - pers. comm.) so we do not know if it was deposited in marine or fresh water.

There are some brown silty clays to be seen on the top of the Basement Till which contain marine bivalves.

Aims -

What is the origin of the brown layered clay at Danes Dyke?

What is the origin of the brown clays on top of the Basement Till?

Can we se the difference between the three Boulder Clays ?

Can forensic science techniques help solve the mysteries?

acknowledgment - Thanks to Gordon Ostler for help with the fieldwork at Aldbrough in 2005.