Introduction: Prehistoric Remains on the Continental Shelf — Why do Sites and Landscapes Survive Inundation?

Flemming, N. C.; Harff, Jan; Moura, Delminda; Burgess, Anthony; Bailey, Geoff

doi:10.1002/9781118927823.ch1

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The archaeology of submerged landscapes is a growing discipline, and so far, around 2600 prehistoric sites have been found in Europe (Flemming et al, 2017). During the last few decades, studies of the prehistory of continental shelf areas have become an almost global scientific topic (Bailey, 2014;Evans et al, 2014;Harff et al, 2016a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shoreline displacement and human resource utilization in the southern Baltic Basin coastal zone during the early Holocene: New insights from a submerged Mesolithic landscape in south-eastern Sweden

et al. 2017

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Along parts of the Hanö Bay coast in south-eastern Sweden, remains of a submerged landscape can be found down to depths of almost 25 m b.s.l. The coastal landscape was formed during two periods of lowered water levels in the Baltic Basin: the Yoldia Sea and the Initial Littorina Sea stages. In order to reconstruct the local environment and shoreline displacement during the Yoldia Sea and Ancylus Lake stages, sediment sequences were obtained at 4.5, 17.5 and 18.7 m b.s.l. Detailed bathymetric mapping was based on multi-beam echo-sounding while surveillance and sampling of tree remains and archaeological findings were performed through diving. The Yoldia Sea low-stand reached its minimum level at 24–25 m b.s.l. just before 10,800 cal. BP. During the subsequent Ancylus transgression, a slow-flowing river passed through the area, accumulating thick deposits of fine-grained organic sediments in lagoonal basins. The river was surrounded by open woodland dominated by pine. Based on successive flooding of rooted tree stumps, the transgression rate was estimated at 4 cm·yr−1, until the Ancylus high-stand was reached at 5 m b.s.l. at 10,400–10,300 cal. BP. Findings of worked aurochs and beaver bones provide evidence of human presence in the landscape and show the importance of terrestrial resources for their subsistence. These integrated palaeoecological and archaeological investigations demonstrate the importance of submerged landscapes with well-preserved sediment, wood and bone material for our understanding of southern Baltic coastal landscapes and their inhabitants during the Early Mesolithic.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shoreline displacement and human resource utilization in the southern Baltic Basin coastal zone during the early Holocene: New insights from a submerged Mesolithic landscape in south-eastern Sweden

et al. 2017

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“…In this area, more than 2600 prehistoric submerged archaeological sites have been discovered (Flemming et al . 2017b), but in Swedish waters relatively few studies of submerged landscapes have been performed (Hansson et al . 2018a).…”

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“…During the Last Glacial Maximum, 20 000 years ago, the global sea level was about 130 m lower than at present (Caruso et al 2011), and as a result the European landmass increased in extent by approximately 4 million km 2 . In this area, more than 2600 prehistoric submerged archaeological sites have been discovered (Flemming et al 2017b), but in Swedish waters relatively few studies of submerged landscapes have been performed (Hansson et al 2018a). These coastal areas were important for the dispersal of humans, technology and culture between landmasses, and offered attractive habitats for hunting, gathering and fishing (Harff et al 2016b).…”

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A new early Holocene shoreline displacement record for Blekinge, southern Sweden, and implications for underwater archaeology

Hansson

Hammarlund

Landeschi

et al. 2018

Boreas

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We present evidence of a submerged early Holocene landscape off the Blekinge coastline in the Baltic Sea, dating to the Yoldia Sea and Initial Littorina Sea Stages when the water level was lower than at present. 14C dated wood remains obtained by surveillance diving and new archaeological findings in combination with bathymetric analyses and interpolations between other sites across the Baltic Sea were used for refinement of the shoreline displacement history of the region. The new results reveal a Yoldia Sea lowstand level at 20 m b.s.l., a subsequent Ancylus Lake highstand at 3 m a.s.l., and then a period of relatively stable water level at about 4 m b.s.l. during the Initial Littorina Sea Stage, several metres lower than previously concluded. The refined shoreline displacement record was used for palaeo‐reconstructions of the study area during four key periods, the Yoldia Sea lowstand phase, the Ancylus Lake transgression phase, the Ancylus Lake highstand phase and the Initial Littorina Sea lowstand phase, using elevation data and map algebra functions. A flow accumulation algorithm was used for reconstruction of the now submerged prehistoric river network in order to identify areas of high archaeological potential. Our revised shoreline displacement record, and especially its lowstand period during the Initial Littorina Sea Stage around 9500–8500 cal. a BP, raises future demands not only for specific archaeological shallow‐water surveys down to 4 m b.s.l. in the area, but also for a renewed cultural heritage management strategy. The results of this study fill an important gap in the early Holocene part of the shoreline displacement history of Blekinge, contributing to its completion since the deglaciation, which is unique for the Baltic Sea.

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Preliminary Results and Research Perspectives on the Submerged Stone Age Sites in Storstrømmen, Denmark

Fiedler¹,

Johansen²,

Binder³

2022

Open Archaeology

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This article gives an overview of the survey campaigns and excavations undertaken within an area of the sound Storstrømmen in southeast Denmark from 2014 to 2017. Before the construction of a new bridge over the sound, geophysical data from the bridge corridor and other areas affected by the development project were used to give a representation of the moraine till as a proxy for the submerged prehistoric topography, with the topographical interpretation serving as a base for appointing areas with high potential for finding well-preserved Mesolithic sites. Several new Mesolithic sites were found during test excavations. The sites are preserved at different depths in the channel and range in date over the entire Danish Mesolithic period. All sites are located along former waterfronts, and the majority showed good preservation for organic material. Four of the discovered sites have been subject to excavations. The sites are located at different elevations and have between them the potential of contributing to the understanding of the human response to the dramatic topographic and environmental change that took place in Storstrømmen during the Atlantic period as a consequence of the rising sea level.

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Introduction: Prehistoric Remains on the Continental Shelf — Why do Sites and Landscapes Survive Inundation?

Cited by 4 publications

References 15 publications

Shoreline displacement and human resource utilization in the southern Baltic Basin coastal zone during the early Holocene: New insights from a submerged Mesolithic landscape in south-eastern Sweden

Shoreline displacement and human resource utilization in the southern Baltic Basin coastal zone during the early Holocene: New insights from a submerged Mesolithic landscape in south-eastern Sweden

A new early Holocene shoreline displacement record for Blekinge, southern Sweden, and implications for underwater archaeology

Preliminary Results and Research Perspectives on the Submerged Stone Age Sites in Storstrømmen, Denmark

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