Development of Predictive Geoarchaeological Models to Locate and Assess the Preservation Potential of Submerged Prehistoric Sites Using Remote Sensing, Palaeoenvironmental Analysis, and GIS (original) (raw)

Submerged Prehistoric Sites: 'Needles In Haystacks' for CRMs and Industry Submerged Prehistoric Sites are Increasingly Creating Headaches for Permitting Agencies

Sea Technology

Cultural resource managers (CRMs) and permitting agen-cies are increasingly concerned about submerged prehis-toric archaeological sites. These sites are places of past human behavior (such as campsites, hunting sites and gathering sites) submerged by global sea level rise as glaciers melted after the last ice age. This process took place for more than 10,000 years-from about 18,000 to 5,000 years ago-and many archaeological sites surely exist on continental shelves and in bays and inlets. Industry and CRMs have a unique opportuni-ty to affect understanding of the past while developing inte-grated cooperative projects for the future. CRMs' concern with submerged prehistoric sites is increas-ing because of the rapid pace and effects of offshore devel-opments. These kinds of sites are significant due to their con-text and age and because they are protected by the same laws as other cultural resources on land. However, there are no direct remote-sensing technologies that can identif...

Archaeological predictive modelling in underwater contexts. Utility and challenges

2022

Despite the availability of various remote sensing methods allowing for mapping, monitoring, and studying the underwater cultural heritage at previously unreachable depths, underwater operations remain costly and challenging to sustain in extensive areas. The adoption of formal models indicating where to expect archaeological remains would be extremely beneficial to optimise underwater archaeological investigations. However, whilst archaeological predictive modelling has increasingly been employed in terrestrial contexts, this technique is underdeveloped in the maritime domain, particularly in the Mediterranean basin. While hinting at a mistaken notion of what predictive models should achieve, this underdevelopment also highlights specific caveats, which should be addressed to improve current archaeological predictive modelling approaches, thus promoting their further development in maritime areas. This contribution presents a new GIS-based methodology for the prediction of shipwreck locations in Mediterranean territorial waters (i.e., 12 NM zone); particularly, it focuses on strategies to deal with data biases, model uncertainty and testing.

Investigations of deep, submerged Stone Age settlements covered by sea-floor sediments: preliminary methodological considerations

IEEE Explore, 2013

In the light of the increasing industrial activity in the oceans, management of the submerged cultural heritage beyond the shallow zone is becoming a matter of increasing concern. National legislative bodies, together with the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, underline the need to develop a legal and methodological framework for management of the submerged cultural heritage. Besides ship wrecks, which are numerous, Stone Age settlements likely represent the dominant type of submerged cultural heritage sites requiring competent and cost-effective management. As the average sea level during successive glaciations was, for long periods, more than 100 m below that of today, and as the subsequently submerged areas appear to have been more intensely inhabited than hitherto imagined, it seems logical to expect well-preserved remains of early human settlement to be associated with these highly productive prehistoric coastal areas. The archaeological finds recorded demonstrate that this settlement, even in Northern Europe, extends back as far as 1 million years. A pre-requisite for a successful implementation of future legislative initiatives is the development of a technical basis consisting of 1) cost-effective methodologies for mapping and investigating the submerged Stone Age sites and 2) cost-effective methods for investigating/excavating the deeper submerged Stone Age sites. This study addresses the latter point because it is seen as being important to facilitate an interactive development of legislation and the possibilities that technological advances in underwater acoustic sensing, positioning, robotics and mechatronics can provide. For example, it would presently be quite problematic to have to carry out an investigation of a well-preserved mammoth-hunter site covered by 5 m of sediments and located at a depth of 70 m. How should one excavate such a site at a reasonable quality level? It is likely that we may have to deal with situations of this type in the near future. This paper discusses how the maximum amount of information can be obtained about such sites during a preexcavation evaluation stage by physical characterization of cultural and surrounding layers and sediment/dirt DNA analysis, etc, as well as the possibilities for on-site excavation or, alternatively, the extraction of blocks of sediment for excavation under controlled conditions during an actual investigation.

Submerged Prehistory [2011]

2011

For most of prehistory, global sea level was lower than today. Important events in human development, such as hominin dispersals during the Pleistocene Ice Age, the recolonization of formerly glaciated terrain, and the spread of agriculture took place on landscapes that are now, at least partially, underwater. Submerged sites can offer preservation conditions rarely encountered on land. With advances in underwater exploration technology, many submerged landscapes have become accessible to archaeologists, and there is growing awareness of the potential for underwater archaeology to transform our knowledge of the human past. This volume highlights the widespread occurrence of submerged prehistoric sites and demonstrates the exceptional diversity of well-preserved material to be found underwater around the world. The 25 peer-reviewed contributions from leading authors cover the results of recent research on three continents and the approaches and techniques applied to site discovery, investigation, and interpretation.

Lost Worlds: A Predictive Model to Locate Submerged Archaeological Sites in SE Alaska, USA

The archaeological record of the northern Northwest Coast (NWC) extends to approximately 12,200 cal BP; however, much of the habitable area dating to before 10,600 cal BP is now submerged. Recent research indicates that large areas of Southeast Alaska and western British Columbia were glaciated from 21,000 to 17,000 cal BP, albeit with refugia (unglaciated areas able to support life) existing along the coast. By 16,000 cal BP, much of the region was deglaciated and ecologically viable for human habitation. This project develops and tests a model to identify high potential areas for the occurrence and preservation of archaeological sites on the continental shelf of Southeast Alaska. The paleolandscapes are developed from bathymetric data and paleoecological data.

Research in Stone Age sites at submerged shore zones. Strategies and experiences.

Man and Sea in the Mesolithic. Coastal settlement above and below present sea level. Proceedings of the International Symposium, Kalundborg, Denmark 1993, 1995

Systematic excavation of submerged Stone Age sites was in Denmark initiated in 1976 by Langelands Museum. Hence systematic surveys for and excavations of such sites have been carried out by this and other Danish institutions. A number of methods and strategies have been tested, and a number of experiences - some of which were rather costly and strenuous to obtain - have been gained. The following is a sketch of this development, and some of the conclusions reached.

Submerged Prehistory

"For most of prehistory, global sea level was lower than today. Important events in human development, such as hominin dispersals during the Pleistocene Ice Age, the recolonization of formerly glaciated terrain, and the spread of agriculture took place on landscapes that are now, at least partially, underwater. Submerged sites can offer preservation conditions rarely encountered on land. With advances in underwater exploration technology, many submerged landscapes have become accessible to archaeologists, and there is growing awareness of the potential for underwater archaeology to transform our knowledge of the human past. This volume highlights the widespread occurrence of submerged prehistoric sites and demonstrates the exceptional diversity of well-preserved material to be found underwater around the world. The 25 peer-reviewed contributions from leading authors cover the results of recent research on three continents and the approaches and techniques applied to site discovery, investigation, and interpretation."