Prehistoric Archaeology on the Continental Shelf: A Global Review - Hardcover

Climate change, sea-level rise; these processes are a source of debate and concern in modern society due to their potential impacts on coastal populations. For archaeologists, climate change and sea-level rise have had a visible impact in the past, when thousands of prehistoric settlements on the continental shelf were inundated by the sea level rising as ice caps melted.

It has only been in the last forty years that we have begun to understand the ways in which climate change and sea-level rise have influenced the archaeological record of prehistoric societies. Archaeological sites on the world’s continental shelves have previously been inaccessible to researchers, but advances in remote sensing and diving technologies have enabled exploration of these former terrestrial landscapes submerged by sea-level rise related to the last glacial maximum.

This edited volume presents multi-disciplinary case studies of prehistoric archaeological sites located on now-submerged portions of the continental shelf around the world. Each chapter represents an extension of the known prehistoric record beyond the modern shoreline. Case studies represent central themes of landscape change, climate change and societal development, using new technologies for mapping, monitoring, and managing these sites.

Amanda M. Evans is the Senior Marine Archaeologist for Tesla Offshore LLC. She is an elected officer and serves on the Board of Directors for the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology and is on the Board of Directors for the Register of Professional Archaeologists. Amanda received her Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.

Joseph C. Flatman is Head of Central Casework and Programmes at English Heritage, and Honorary Senior Lecturer with the University College London Institute of Archaeology. He is formerly the County Archaeologist of Surrey. He is a Fellow of the Society for Antiquaries of London, a Trustee of the Council for British Archaeology, and a Member of the Institute for Archaeologists. Joe received his Ph.D. from the University of Southampton.

Nicholas C. Flemming is Visiting Fellow with the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. He received his PhD at Cambridge University. He is a founder member and Life Member of the Society for Underwater Technology. He was Director of the European Global Ocean Observing System. He has organized research projects on submerged prehistoric sites in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Arafura Sea and has published widely on the role of the exposed glacial-maximum continental shelf in global prehistory research.