Over the past decade, paleolandscape reconstruction was introduced as part of a preventive archaeological evaluation strategy along the Scheldt river, due to the unexpected discovery of well-preserved prehistoric landscapes and sites during construction works in the Antwerp harbor area. Hereby, CPT is an important tool in combination with coring and/or near surface geophysical survey. Applications of CPT range from desktop studies, which determine evaluation strategies, to actual paleolandscape mapping by sedimentological data interpretation. CPT-Es (with added camera and/or electrical conductivity sensors) calibrate and validate geophysical subsurface modelling and soil behavior types are interpreted. Particularly, (electrical conductivity) CPT-C disentangles sedimentological and hydrological variations in electrical conductivity values. On the other hand, camera CPT improves differentiation of organic rich sediments and detection of thin organic soil horizons within homogenous (cover)sands. The usability of CPT is illustrated through recent prehistoric landscape evaluation studies along the Scheldt river.

The excavations of the multiperiod (Mesolithic-Neolithic) site of Bazel-Sluis in the lower Scheldt valley in Belgium revealed the presence of a number of carbonized cereal grains, of which 24 were radiocarbon dated. These results indicate three chronological clusters, respectively between 4850/4610-4530/4330 cal BC; 4430/4250-4270/3980 cal BC; and 4050/3840-3680/3480 cal BC. In accordance with this chronology the cultural remains on the site are affiliated with the Late Mesolithic, Swifterbant and Michelsberg cultural groups, and display contacts with the Bandkeramik and Rossen cultures. The oldest cereal remains are the oldest thus far recorded in a Mesolithic context in the coversand region of North-Western Europe. When assessed within the framework of the archaeological data from the wider region it seems that these finds are to be explained within a first stage of neolithisation, associated with contacts with the Blicquy and Rossen cultural groups. From ca. 4300 cal BC the Michelsberg cultural group seems to be the main instigator for the further advance of the neolithisation process.

This paper discusses the problems with sampling materials and sampled contexts in the framework of radiocarbon dating of Mesolithic sites situated in generally dry, acid and bioturbated coversand deposits within north-western Europe. The case studies presented all relate to the coversand regions of northern Belgium and the Netherlands, two areas for which very large sets of radiocarbon dates performed on different organic components are currently available. The study points out that charred hazelnut shells from surface hearths and charcoal from hearth pits guarantee the most secure dating results, while the dating of calcined bones and food crusts from Final Mesolithic pottery so far remains problematic.