Submerged but Not Forgotten: Considering Climate Change Impacts on Underwater Archaeological Heritage

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Case Studies from SHA’s Heritage at Risk Committee" session, at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

While many studies have focused on understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change on terrestrial archaeological heritage sites, far fewer have sought to explore impacts on submerged sites. New shoreline dynamics, changes in salinity, ocean acidification, and rising water temperatures are all serious potential issues for formerly stable underwater archaeological sites. As these sites transform in the face of environmental changes, so too will approaches to resource management and public engagement. This paper explores the variety of ways in which sites may exhibit the effects of climate change on both a theoretical level and as illustrated through several case studies from already affected sites in the United States. Avenues for adapting resource management to impacts on submerged sites are also considered, including citizen science initiatives introduced to collect long-term climate change impact data.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2019   •
• Case Studies from SHA’s Heritage at Risk Committee

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 433