STA - Gaining an understanding of soil carbon and its management in an archaeological context

The main aim of this project is to get a better understanding of soil carbon and how it can be managed in an archaeological context.

This will include: • Soil carbon basics, the conditions and factors that influence carbon in soils • The potential impacts that archaeological excavation may have on the mobilisation and loss of soil carbon • How this can be mitigated and managed through better planning and practice

This will be achieved through a review of current information from allied and relevant sectors.

This will lead to new knowledge about the factors influencing soil carbon loss in relation to archaeological excavation (e.g., soil loss, time of year, period of disturbance) and some best practice soil management advice to minimise soil carbon loss.

This project responds to the Historic England Corporate Plan priority on Climate Action and our Climate Change Strategy.

This project directly contributes to Corporate Plan Outcome 4B - More organisations in the heritage sector are committed to achieving net zero by 2050 or earlier - in particular helping the archaeology sector to understand soil carbon loss through their work, and to manage this in the best way to meet Net Zero.

It will help companies adapt their planning, design and intervention methods to ensure sustainable practices are developed and used. The project will also be of relevance to the planning and conservation advice priority, as the overall outcome of the work will be clearer guidance and advice about how soil carbon loss is measured during development-led archaeological work.

The project will also contribute to Historic England's Net Zero project (Corporate Plan Outcome 4A) which is driving our own corporate programme of carbon reduction.