The ERC has recently awarded the largest single research grant to study marine palaeolandscapes – a total of 13 million euros – starting on April 1st this year. The project, SUBNORDICA is a research collaboration between principal investigators from Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus University, the University of Bradford and the German research institute NIhK, to explore submerged archaeological landscapes in the North Sea and the Baltic. The project will apply the latest technologies to map the seabed, using AI and computer simulation to identify areas where long-lost settlements may still survive and can be explored, and enabling ethical development of the seabed.
Researchers at the University of Bradford’s Submerged Landscapes Research Centre will lead exploration in the southern North Sea along partners investigators from the Netherlands (TNO – Geological Survey of the Netherlands), Belgium (Flanders Marine Institute) and the University of York. Bradford will also host the project’s computing infrastructure, providing modelling and AI support for the quest to discover lost prehistoric settlements of the North Sea.
During the past two decades, archaeologists have become increasingly aware of a major gap in our understanding of world prehistory. That gap is the 20 million km2 of new territory around the world that was exposed for thousands of years when sea levels were up to 130 metres lower than present. In Europe, this meant more than 3 million km2 of new land was exposed around Europe’s present coastline, along with coastal plains, lakes, river valleys, shorelines, and islands, which provided some of the most attractive land for prehistoric settlement anywhere in the continent. Now lost to the sea following global climate change, these landscapes remain almost entirely unexplored. Today, they are under threat, as the world develops the continental shelf to meet net zero goals.
The grant comes from the European Research Council, set up by the European Union in 2007 to fund research excellence in projects based across Europe. The funding is from the Horizon Europe programme and is part of an overall budget of more than €16 billion from 2021 to 2027. The grant awarded for this project is a Synergy Grant, the highest level of grant available, which is awarded for scale projects which require collaborations from multiple institutions to meet their ambitious goals. In this case there are four Principal Investigators (PIs) from Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus University, the University of Bradford and the German research institute NIHK, who each bring specific expertise and experience.
“20,000 years ago, global sea level was 130 metres lower than at present. With progressive global warming and sea-level rise, these unique landscapes, home to human societies for millennia, disappeared. We know almost nothing about the people who lived on these great plains. As Europe and the world approaches net zero, development of the coastal shelves is now a strategic priority. SUBNORDICA will use the latest technologies to explore these lands and support sustainable development.”
Professor Vincent Gaffney, University of Bradford
“SUBNORDICA will investigate the significance of ancient coastlines and its resources for humans. Through diving surveys in Aarhus Bay we will determine how widespread coastal settlements were compared to those in the interior, and determine how marine resources were exploited 9000 to 8500 years ago. This knowledge will then be used to target archaeological investigations in less accessible areas.”
Dr Peter Moe Astrup, Moesgaard Museum
“In SUBNORDICA, we will use the abundant legacy data in the form of geophysical 2D and 3D seismic and acoustic surveys and geological and geotechnical boreholes to understand what the Stone Age palaeolandscapes looked like and how they evolved through time and during the flooding. By employing AI, we will make data integration feasible across the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and further allow for automated interpretations of key landscape elements.”
Dr Katrine Juul Andresen, Aarhus University
“The sunken landscapes in the North and Baltic Seas look back on a very similar past. Today, however, they differ significantly because the former land surface is much easier to reach in many areas of the Baltic Sea and therefore better investigated. We will use these accessible areas in the Baltic Sea to gain insights into the landscape use of Stone Age inhabitants, their settlements, and survival strategies.”
Svea Mahlstedt, NIhK