THE PALYNOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE KINGS POOL, STAFFORD, ENGLAND

The King's Pool is an elongated depression in which up to 21 m of organic sediments have been found. Details of the sediments and the macro fossils are given. The pollen diagram is presented in both percentage and concentration forms, and these show considerable differences especially for the Late Devensian period. The sequence begins at about 13 000 years BP though the pollen diagram begins near the end of the Windermere interstadial. It appears that there are a number of hiatuses in the sequence, the most important spanning most of the Atlantic period (Godwin pollen zone Vila). Forest clearance is evident from early in the Neolithic period with further clearance in the Bronze Age (shown most clearly in the concentration diagram) but with the greatest clearance at the beginning of the Iron Age. This latter clearance is accompanied by increased productivity of the lake, indicated by organic remains, including abundant blue‐green algae, suggesting eutrophication. Arable agriculture including cultivation of cereals and Cannabis seems to have increased near the end of the Roman period. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved