Geology and Archaeology: Submerged Landscapes of the Continental Shelf
Sea-level change has influenced human population globally since prehistoric times. Even in early phases of cultural development human populations were faced with marine regression and transgression as a result of changing climate and corresponding glacio-isostatic adjustment. Global marine regression during the last glaciation changed the palaeogeography of the continental shelf, converting former marine environments to attractive terrestrial habitats for prehistoric humans. These areas of the shelf were used as hunting and gathering areas, as migration routes between continents, and most probably witnessed the earliest developments in seafaring and marine exploitation, until the postglacial transgression re-submerged these palaeo-landscapes. Based on modern marine research technologies and the integration of large databases, proxy data are increasingly available for the reconstruction of Quaternary submerged landscapes. Also, prehistoric archaeological remains from the recent sea bottom are shedding new light on human prehistoric development driven by rapidly changing climate and environment. This publication contributes to the exchange of ideas and new results in this young and challenging field of underwater palaeoenvironmental investigation.
Development of the coastal systems of the easternmost Gulf of Finland, and their links with Neolithic–Bronze and Iron Age settlements
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Published:January 01, 2016
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CiteCitation
D. Ryabchuk, V. Zhamoida, A. Amantov, A. Sergeev, T. Gusentsova, P. Sorokin, M. Kulkova, D. Gerasimov, 2016. "Development of the coastal systems of the easternmost Gulf of Finland, and their links with Neolithic–Bronze and Iron Age settlements", Geology and Archaeology: Submerged Landscapes of the Continental Shelf, J. Harff, G. Bailey, F. Lüth
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Abstract
We examine three questions concerning the post-glacial geological history of the eastern Gulf of Finland: (1) the amplitude of the Holocene sea-level regressions; (2) the time and mechanism of the development of large sand accretion forms (bars and spits), including dunes; and (3) the sea-level changes and coastal development over the last 4 kyr. Recent on-land geoarchaeological studies, as well as detailed marine geological research of the Gulf of Finland nearshore bottom, have provided new data for developing a hypothesis about the palaeogeographical development of the area. Geoarchaeological studies carried out around Sestroretsky Artificial Lake and within Okhta Cape, as well as analyses of previous studies of the Neolithic–Early Metal settlements, have shed new light on some aspects of coastal system development. Geographical information system (GIS)-based modelling of Holocene shorelines for the different time periods can be useful for future archaeological research. A series of submarine terraces was found at the bottom of the Gulf (sea depths from 10 to 2 m). The analysis of marine geological data (submarine terraces) and distribution of archaeological sites can be explained by a possible rise in relative sea level in the Gulf of Finland at 5 ka BP and a regression around 3 ka BP.
- absolute age
- Ancylus Lake
- archaeological sites
- archaeology
- artifacts
- Atlantic Ocean
- Baltic ice lake
- Baltic region
- Baltic Sea
- Bronze Age
- C-14
- carbon
- Cenozoic
- Commonwealth of Independent States
- drilling
- Europe
- geographic information systems
- geophysical methods
- ground-penetrating radar
- Gulf of Finland
- Holocene
- human activity
- information systems
- Iron Age
- isotopes
- landform evolution
- Leningrad Oblast Russian Federation
- lithostratigraphy
- Litorina Sea
- lower Holocene
- marine drilling
- marine terraces
- nearshore environment
- Neolithic
- North Atlantic
- paleogeography
- Pleistocene
- Quaternary
- radar methods
- radioactive isotopes
- reconstruction
- regression
- Russian Federation
- Saint Petersburg Russian Federation
- sea-level changes
- shore features
- shorelines
- Stone Age
- transgression
- upper Pleistocene
- Bolshaya Izhora Russian Federation
- Sestroretsky Razliv
- Sestroretskaya Lowland
- Okhta Cape