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Coracle Archaeology was commissioned to provide marine archaeological environmental assessments for the ZEUS fibre optic telecommunications cable (formerly Circe North 2) in UK waters. This is a subsea, fibre-optic telecommunications cable system running approximately 200km between Pakefield, Suffolk, and Zandvoort in the Netherlands. The cable route beyond the UK 12 nautical mile limit and above mean high water springs were beyond the remit of our assessments. Marine archaeological assessments included a desk-based assessment of known cultural heritage assets in the vicinity of the proposed cable route, an archaeological review of marine geophysical and geotechnical survey data, a marine cultural heritage chapter for the project's Environmental Appraisal, a written scheme of investigation and the production of a Protocol for Archaeological Discoveries. A programme of archaeological monitoring (watching brief) was also undertaken during cable installation works on the foreshore and inter-tidal zone. As a result of the archaeological assessments, 15 archaeological exclusion zones were imposed around geophysical anomalies with archaeological potential along the ZEUS cable corridor. Of these, five related to known heritage assets (wrecks) identified in the DBA. The as-laid cable route did not encroach any of the archaeological exclusion zones, and no items of archaeological interest were encountered unexpectedly during works that disturbed the seabed. A programme of archaeological monitoring (watching brief) was also undertaken during cable installation works on the foreshore and inter-tidal zone. No deposits of palaeo-environmental or geoarchaeological interest were encountered, and no environmental sampling was necessary. A section of crenellated concrete was, however, encountered at the base of the installation trench. This was clearly modern in origin; it was recorded and left in-situ. |
