Submerged Prehistory: A Current Review

In recent years there has been a growing awareness of the potential and importance of studying prehistoric archaeology preserved on the continental shelf, not just within the field of Maritime Archaeology, but also within more traditionally ‘terrestrial’ archaeological circles. Whilst we have known for many years that Maritime Archaeology is not just concerned with shipwrecks, this rapidly burgeoning field is attracting a wider audience, and with the use of cutting edge technology, no one needs to get their feet wet. A combination of developments in geophysical survey and accessibility to both technology and data have enabled a sea-change in our ability to map the sea-floor at high resolution and proactively search for areas of potential preservation. The two volumes discussed below indicate the move from sporadic chance-finds on the sea-bed to targeted archaeological prospection. The study of submerged landscapes can significantly influence our understanding of the past on a number of levels: from the minutiae of daily life seen through the unique preservation of organic material rarely seen on land, to the Big Questions of hominin migrations. In addition to this, sub-bottom acoustics and programmes of coring and geotechnical analyses have enabled the submerged shelf to be studied in terms of environmental change and narratives of sea-level rise—relevant contemporary issues. Both volumes originated from conferences: the Benjamin et al. 2011 was born from the 2009 European Association of Archaeologists’ annual meeting (Riva del Garda) and SPLASHCOS (EU funded COST action TD0902, Submerged Prehistoric Archaeology and Landscapes of the Continental Shelf 2009–2013), whilst the Evans et al. 2014 was prompted by sessions at the Sixth World Archaeology Conference (WAC 6) Dublin 2008 and Internationaler Kongres fur Unterwasserarchaologie/International Congress on Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA 3) London 2008.