Prehistoric Archaeology on the Continental Shelf

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.

From the book reviews:

"With the combination of a 'call to arms' for the future of this exciting research by Flemming, a review of the state of the science by Flatman and Evans, and a concluding summary by Bailey, this volume provides a good overview of the discipline. ? provides a timely reminder about the potential importance of archaeology on the continental shelf and makes a significant contribution to the field and I would thoroughly recommend it to the reader ? ." (R. Helen Farr, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Vol. 44 (1), 2015)

"At last, a book about inundated prehistoric sites with depth. ? It should be required reading for archaeologists, with its fascinating glimpse of a new world of data. ? Surely it is time to absorb submerged archaeology into our discipline. Well illustrated and easy to read: put on your Christmas list!" (Caroline Wickham-Jones, British Archaeology, September-October, 2014)