SUBMERGED LANDSCAPES
For 90% of human existence, sea levels have
been lower than present by as much as 130 m.
© N. Flemming, recovery of mammoth skull
from the North Sea
The current sea
level was only
established about
6,000 years ago.
As humans mainly lived close to
the water, a large
majority of humanity's
development
took
place on areas
that are now
submerged.
However, it is only within the past decade that there has
been a clear recognition of how important the missing
data on the submerged shelf is. Growing numbers of prehistoric underwater archaeological sites stretching over
whole landscapes, ranging from over 300,000 years to
6,000 years ago, have been discovered. They often have
spectacular conditions of preservation of organic materials
such as wood and fibres. Such discoveries have been
made in parts of the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the
Black Sea. Much material has been extracted accidently
during mineral extraction works on the seafloor. Research
is also ongoing on the submerged landscape of the Gulf,
in particular near Qatar.
Indeed, some of the world's best-preserved prehistoric landscapes have survived at the bottom
of the North and the Baltic Sea.
Dating from approximately 50,000-60,000 years ago, they
contain traces of prehistoric human evidence of Neanderthalian hunting grounds and camp sites. It is estimated
that hundreds or even thousands of square miles of postIce Age prehistoric landscapes may have survived. Indeed, until nine thousand years ago, Denmark, Sweden
and England were one continent and the Baltic Sea a
lake. When the ice cap melted, due to the end of the Ice
Age, the sea level rose and many human settlements
were submerged. This submerged area is now called by
scientists as ‘Doggerland,’ in addition to human remains
and tools also hundreds of mammoth skeletons have
been extracted, mostly by chance, from the seabed. Most
discoveries are due to the fact that sands and gravels,
now recovered for construction works, had formerly been
part of a riverbed, where humans preferably lived closeby. The involved enterprises are now fully aware of the
importance of this recovered material and are cooperating
with archaeologists and paleontologists in their research.
In the Black Sea, a submerged coastline 17 meters below the waters provides evidence of a
flooding 7,500 years ago.
The flooding of
the Black Sea
and the submersion of landscapes
may
possibly
have
been one of the
sources for the
story of Noah’s
Ark.
Scientists
assume that the
Black Sea extended
when
melting glaciers
Europe. The grey areas of the North, Baltic
raised the sea
and Black Sea on the map are zones, which
level of the Medihad previously been dry land, but are now
terranean, until a
submerged. Thousands of prehistoric sites
natural dam on
are located now under water.
the
Bosporus
broke. The saltwater may have spilled over in a major
flood and submerged the Sea, which was until then a
fresh water lake. It may also, in doing so, have submerged
large areas settled by man. Indeed, proof of the prior
smaller extension is provided by the remains of submerged Mesolithic settlements found off the coast of Turkey and the discovery of a very ancient log boat at another site off the coast.
The Persian Gulf is relatively shallow with an
average of about 35 metres. This means that
prior to 14,000 years ago, the now submerged
area was an open landscape with a supply of
fresh water.
Realising
the
importance of this data,
seismic reflection surveys are now undertaken. They are revealing
former landscape features, coastlines and
freshwater zones. Indeed it were the Euphrates and Tigris, the
famous rivers of Mesopotamia, which provid© C. Doyal, Diver with a Mastodon
ed the fresh water to
Petroglyph in Grand Traverse Bay
this now submerged
landscape. Therefore, it
is suspected that the new research will disclose areas with
high archaeological potential. Its use will allow gaining of
additional information about early human migration and
life, enriching the already rich knowledge about the cradle
of human civilization.
© Max-Planck Institute, reconstruction of a prehistoric Neanderthalian
skull, of which parts were found
under water
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