SUBNORDICA - Beyond Submerged Landscapes
At the last glaciation ca. 20.000 years ago, the global sea level was approximately 130 m lower than the present day sea level, and vast landscapes extended for millions of square kilometres offshore of the world’s coastline. These landscapes which were drowned by sea level rise, are known to preserve valuable archives of landscapes, palaeoclimatic change and stratified archaeological remains, with the potential to transform understanding of human history in this period of dramatic change. The absence of archaeological sites across much of this vast area prevents realisation of this potential.
In SUBNORDICA we propose a systematic approach to develop new methods for recreating the now submerged landscapes and human settlement of NW Europe and to assess the impact of postglacial sea level rise, by integrating information from existing and new geophysical, geological, palaeoenvironmental and archaeological datasets.
SUBNORDICA aims to answer two overarching scientific questions: 1) What changes to the topography and environment of the submerged landscape were brought about by rising sea level and climate change? and 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?
To answer the scientific questions, the project is focused on three objectives: 1) Identify areas of the palaeolandscape with likely concentrations of archaeological materials, and optimal conditions for preservation and discovery, as potential targets for closer inspection, 2) Develop new methods of characterising underwater archaeological sites or other remains of cultural activity, working from known sites and cultural features onshore and in shallow water towards identification of potential targets elsewhere and at greater depth and further offshore, and 3) Investigate newly identified potential archaeological targets and recover data for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological interpretation.
Combining information from four regions in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, we will use artificial intelligence to develop machine-learning routines to identify from existing and new data, new targets of archaeological potential for more detailed investigation.
SUBNORDICA aims to 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.
SUBNORDICA is a 6-years ERC funded Synergy Grant project. The research is structures around six work packages.
