Insect faunas associated with palaeolithic industries from five sites of pre-Anglian age in central England

Fossil insect faunas are described from five sites where organic silts fill ancient river channels. Two of the sites (Waverly Wood and Brooksby) are in the English Midlands and the other three of them (High Lodge, Happisburgh and Pakefield) are in East Anglia. Their stratigraphical contexts can be shown to pre-date the Anglian (Elsterian) Glaciation. All these localities are associated with palaeolithic implements. Three of them, Waverley Wood, Brooksby and High Lodge, are riverine deposits related to the pre-glacial Bytham River valley. The channel at Happisburgh probably dates from the same period though it was probably not part of the main Bytham River valley. The insect fauna from the pre-glacial channel at Pakefield suggests that it is not of the same age as the others. The insect assemblages include exotic species that enable stratigraphical correlations to be made with other sites in central England. They provide detailed information on the local environment and regional climate at the time when palaeolithic peoples were living in central England. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.