ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The aim of the book is to provide a critical assessment of the methods and approaches that are currently employed in the reconstruction of Quaternary environments. The book consists of a discussion of the sequence of events in the North Atlantic region during the last climatic cycle. It outlines the geomorphological, lithological and biological evidence that forms the basis for environmental reconstruction. The book reviews the various dating methods that are currently employed in Quaternary science. It illustrates how often diverse evidence can be synthesised into a coherent picture of environmental change and, in particular, the significance of the linkages between the terrestrial, atmospheric and oceanographic components of the natural environment. Insofar as it highlights the gaps in people present state of knowledge, it also serves as a starting point for the next generation of investigations of Quaternary environments.
