Hauke Jöns, Wilhelmshaven:
Discover the submerged prehistory of Europe –
aims, methods and outcomes
of the European SPLASHCOS-network
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
2004,
Streif
Streif2004
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
The European Continental Shelf
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Bailey 2011
40% of the European
surface is submerged!
Graphik: F. Bau
(Shenann et al. 2000; van der Noort 2011)
8250 cal BC
Harpune von der Lemanbank
(Trawler „Colinda“)
(Ward et al 2006)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
The European Continental Shelf
rule of thumb:
‘the deeper the site
below sea level, the
older the site’
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Bailey 2011, Harff and Rosentau 2011 Jöns 2011
rule of thumb:
‘the higher the level,
the older the site’
Fischer 2011/Andersen 2013
Tybring Vig
Denmark
(5400–3900 cal. BC)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Hendersen et al. 2011
Pavlopetri
Greece
(3000-1200 cal. BC)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Galili and Rosen 2011
Atlit-Yam
Israel
(7200-6000 cal. BC)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
North Frisian Wadden Sea
Germany
Late neolithic offering pit with scull of an ourochs found
at the Hamburger Hallig (2300 cal BC)
Kühn 2008
Megalithic Grave from
Sylt-island (3200 cal BC)
Treetrunk (1740 cal BC)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Reconstruction of the
Palaeolandscape (Doggerbank)
3D-Seismik
Gaffney et al. 2007
Data from
offshore-industries!
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
These examples indicate:
o Big parts of the European Prehistory is submerged
offshore (common European perspective)
o The sites may be extraordinary well preserved (organic
material) and may offer completely new information
about the prehistoric life
o In many cases the sites may be used as well dated sea
level-index points and are also of high interest for
Geologist, Oceanologists and Climate experts
o They only can be investigated in close cooperation with
these disciplines (Geophysics, Geology, Sedimentology,
Archaeobiology, etc.).
o A lot of data is already available and can be used!
Transnational & interdisciplinary approach is needed
as well as cooperation with
the marine industry!
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
www.splashcos.org
Chair: Geoff Bailey (York)
Dimitris Sakellariou (Athens)
The project was funded for four years (2009-2013) as COST-Action
o Communication, interdisciplinary exchange of experience and
knowledge
o to promote research on the investigation, interpretation and
management of the drowned landscapes of the continental shelf
o to create a structure for the development of new interdisciplinary and
international research collaboration
o to provide guidance to archaeologists, environmental and marine
scientists, heritage professionals, government agencies, commercial
Saxonypublic.
Institute for Historical Coastal Research
organisations, policy makers and aLower
wider
26 Countries:
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos – Actions
Most of the money was spent for Conferences and Meetings:
1 Brussels Meeting (November 2009)
2 York Meeting (March 2010)
3 Rhodes Meeting (October 2010)
4 Berlin Meeting ( April 2011)
5 Ahtopol Meeting (May 2011)
6 Zadar Meeting (October 2011)
7 UK Meeting (Edinburgh, November 2011)
8 Amersfoort Meeting (April 2012)
9 Rome Meeting (September 2012)
10 Esbjerg Meeting (March 2013)
11 Final Conference, Szczecin (September 2013)
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos – Actions
and Training for Early State Researchers (ESR)
6 Training Schools (66 Persons):
in Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Israel, Spain,
and Malta:
- underwater excavation, acoustic survey,
mapping, recording and conservation, sea
level modelling, and palaeoenvironmental
and geochronological analysis of
palaeocoastlines.
11 Short Term Scientific Missions (STSMs):
involved individuals from Belgium,
Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Portugal,
and UK.
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos – Actions
most of the work was organised by 4 Working groups:
WG 1:
Archaeological Data
and Interpretations
WG 4:
Commercial
Collaboration and
Outreach
WG 3:
Technology,
Technical Resources
and Training
WG 2:
Environmental Data
and Reconstructions
(Geology, etc.)
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
WG 1: Archaeological Data and Interpretations
Chair: Anders Fischer
o To audit and categorise the current state of knowledge
about the existence, location, and chronological range of
prehistoric (Stone Age) archaeological finds on the
European continental shelf.
o To evaluate the potential significance of such data for the
early history of human settlement and society in Europe
(until 4000 cal. BC)
o Recommendations for future projects
Publication of an Atlas, visualising the submerged
archaeological sites of Europe (in prep. by Anders
Fischer et al.)
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
WG 2: Environmental Data and Reconstructions
Chair: Jan Harff
o Assemble data, or sources of data, on sea-level change,
palaeoclimate, bathymetry, and related variables
o Assess issues of site preservation and taphonomy
o To evaluate conditions for the survival and visibility of
prehistoric archaeological materials in different types of
geological and oceanographic conditions and in
different geographical regions of the shelf
Publication of a Handbook, giving an overview
about the actual research on the submerged landscapes of Europe (in prep. by Nic Flemming et al.)
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
WG 3: Technology, Technical Resources and Training
Chairs: Ole Grøn, Tine Missiaen
o Production of a report about
the capability of
geophysical equipment for
archaeological surveys on
submerged landscapes
o Identification of centres of
expertise, laboratories,
skills, equipment, technical
support, and training
opportunities to facilitate
interinstitutional,
interdisciplinary
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
WG 4: Commercial Collaboration and Outreach
Chair: Julie Satchell
o To establish channels of
cooperation and
collaboration with
commercial and industrial
organisations in sharing
and monitoring of data
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-Databases:
- Bibliography of all Splashcos-themes („Mendeley“, Jonathan Benjamin)
- Stable isotope database (Theis Zetner Trolle Jensen)
- New Databases for Archaoelogical and Geological Data? No!
- But „SPLASHCOS-viewer on GeoSeas“ (Combination of meta database
and web-based viewer)
Organised by
Sytze van Heteren (data-management) & Hauke Jöns (corresponding within
the archaeological community, collecting and checking the national datasets)
… still work in progress
www.splashcos.org
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Chances:
- Raising public and scientific awareness for submerged landscapes and sites
- Research tool on the european scale:
- sorting for sites of different (archaeological) periods or ages
- sorting for sites in different water depths
- sorting for radiocarbon dated sites
- sorting for sites with organic material
- etc.
- getting information about publications (references) and
- getting access to further online-information (url)
- Mapping Tool for the planned Splashcos-Book 1 (Anders Fischer: „Atlas“)
Big Challenge:
Data needed from all countries
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
EMODNet
Hydrography
Sea-bed Geology
Bathymetry
Archaeology
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Country
Correspondant
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
UK
Ukraine
Marnix Pieters
Hristina Angelova
Irena Radic Rossi
Anders Fischer
Aivar Kriiska
Cyrille Billard
Hauke Jöns
Nena Galanidou
Kieran Westley
Ehud Galili
Elena Flavia
Valdis Berzin
Algirdas Girininkas
Tim Gambin
Andrea Otte/Hans Peeters
Hakon Glørstad
Prezemyslaw Krajewski
Nuno Bicho
Valentina Voinea
Pablo Arias
Björn Nilsson
Hakan Oniz
Garry Momber
Valentina Yanko-Hombach
Big Challenge:
Data needed from all countries
Splashcos-Network
in function!
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
State of the art (March 2014): 2525 sites from 19 countries
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cypres, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, no Splashcos-sites in their waters so far: Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Spain.
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Single find (unstratified)
Collection of finds (unstratified)
Settlement (in situ culture layer, features)
Grave/Burial
Depotfind/Offering
Rock Art/Carvings
Others
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Mapped for „Type of site“
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Palaeolithic
Upper Palaeolithic
Middle Palaeolithic
Late Palaeolithic
Late Paleolithic/Early Mesolithic
Prehistoric
Mesolithic
Early Mesolithic
Middle Mesolithic
Late Mesolithic
Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic
Neolithic
Early Neolithic
Middle Neolithic
Late Neolithic
Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Mapped for „Archaeological Dating“
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Typochronology
Dendrochronology
Radiocarbon Dating
OSL-Dating
Stratigraphy
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Mapped for „Dating based on “
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Mapped for „maximum waterdepths “
(Bailey 2011)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
yes
no
unknown
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Mapped for „organic material“
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Complexe site, settlment and burials, organic material well preserved
(see url and references),
S. Andersen, Tybrind Vig (2013)
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Splashcos-viewer: Structure of information
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
Outline of the final phase of the project and the future:
State of the art:
- There are still some datasets missing
- some Datasets are not complete: absolute
chronological dating of typochronologically
dated sites, organic material, url and references
etc.
Next steps:
- Sending the actual version of the national datasets to
the national correspondants for last corrections
- Installation of the Splashcos-Viewer on GeoSeas
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research
web-system (2015)
Thanks a lot to the
Correspondants
Marnix Pieters
Hristina Angelova
Irena Radic Rossi
Anders Fischer
Aivar Kriiska
Cyrille Billard
Nena Galanidou
Kieran Westley
Ehud Galili
Elena Flavia
Valdis Berzin
Algirdas Girininkas
Tim Gambin
Andrea Otte
Hans Peeters
Hakon Glørstad
Prezemyslaw Krajewski
Nuno Bicho
Valentina Voinea
Pablo Arias
Björn Nilsson
Hakan Oniz
Garry Momber
Olena Smyntyna
Thanks to the Splashcos and
working group chairs:
Geoff Bailey
Dimitris Sakellariou
Nic Flemming
Anders Fischer
Jan Harff
Tine Messian
Julie Satchel
Thanks for implementing the Splashcos Viewer
into the GeoSeas System to:
Sytze van Heteren & Dick Schaap
Thanks for technical support to
Moritz Mennenga
thank you for listening …
Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research