Beyond submerged landscapes - defining human response to postglacial sea-level rise and climate change

Introduction

The landscapes that extended for millions of square kilometres offshore of the world’s coastlines due to low sea-level during the last glaciation and were then drowned by sea-level rise, are known to preserve valuable archives of landscapes, palaeoclimatic change, and stratified archaeological remains. These landscapes have the potential to transform understanding of human history in this period of dramatic change.

Challenges

The absence of archaeological sites across much of this vast area prevents the realization of this potential.

Project Overview

In SUBNORDICA, we propose a systematic approach to develop new methods for recreating the submerged landscapes and human settlement of NW Europe and assess the impact of postglacial sea-level rise.

Research Questions

We will address two questions:

1. What changes to the topography and environment of the submerged landscape were brought about by rising sea level and climate change?
2. How was the distribution of archaeological settlements and other traces of cultural activity impacted by this changing palaeolandscape, and can we recover them in sufficient detail to investigate human impact and human response?

Methodology

Combining information from four regions in the southern North Sea and the southern Baltic, we will use artificial intelligence to develop machine-learning routines to:

• Integrate existing and newly acquired geophysical and geological data to map key areas of the changing landscape.
• Combine this information with data from known underwater archaeological sites to identify new targets of archaeological potential for more detailed investigation.

Investigation Techniques

Investigating these targets will use:

• High-resolution geophysical methods
• Sediment coring
• Archaeological excavation
• Geochronological, palaeoenvironmental, sedimentological, and biological analyses of recovered deposits

Expected Outcomes

We will reveal a new chapter in human prehistory, provide a world-leading model for the investigation of submerged landscapes, and offer improved policy guidance for underwater cultural heritage management.