The book pauses over geology because soils and water affected where people could live and farm. A post-glacial lake left clay across much of the Vale of York, while deposits of sand, gravel, and river alluvium offered different conditions for cultivation. Excavation east of the city found springs where permeable deposits met boulder clay, helping to explain a long history of settlement. Peat accumulated in kettle holes and raised bogs, giving Roman communities a local fuel source.
Notable Point · 11:21-12:33
Glacial geology, farming, settlement, and fuel
The book links clay, sand, gravel, springs, and peat to the places people farmed, settled, and found fuel around Roman York.