Below sea-level. Combining Palaeolithic and Underwater Archaeology in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Summary

The area of the eastern Mediterranean is a focal point for the study of the earliest acts of globalisation. Palaeolithic archaeology provides the tools for the analysis and interpretation of the material record of the early hominins who passed through and occupied this part of the world. However, since the early pleistocene, the constant environmental fluctuations between glacials and interglacials have caused major alterations in the ice sheets resulting in sea-level fluctuations. Consequently, large land masses which could have been occupied by our early ancestors are now hidden deep below sea-level. 

This presentation deals with the current evidence for early migrations in the eastern Mediterranean and explores the potential of encountering palaeolithic artefacts under the sea-level of the Aegean and Ionian Sea. It brings into sight the need for an interdisciplinary collaboration between palaeolithic archaeologists, palaeontologists, marine geologists and underwater archaeologists.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Maritime Archaeology: a Mediterranean Perspective   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 655