Flemming Nicholas C. (ed.) Submerged Landscapes of the European Continental Shelf

Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2017. — 519 p.Quaternary Paleoenvironments examines the drowned landscapes exposed as extensive and attractive territory for prehistoric human settlement during the Ice Ages of the Pleistocene, when sea levels dropped to 120m-135m below their current levels. This volume provides an overview of the geological, geomorphological, climatic and sea-level history of the European continental shelf as a whole, as well as a series of detailed regional reviews for each of the major sea basins. The nature and variable attractions of the landscapes and resources available for human exploitation are examined, as are the conditions under which archaeological sites and landscape features are likely to have been preserved, destroyed or buried by sediment during sea-level rise. The authors also discuss the extent to which we can predict where to look for drowned landscapes with the greatest chance of success, with frequent reference to examples of preserved prehistoric sites in different submerged environments. Quaternary Paleoenvironments will be of interest to archaeologists, geologists, marine scientists, palaeoanthropologists, cultural heritage managers, geographers, and all those with an interest in the drowned landscapes of the continental shelf.Introduction: Prehistoric Remains on the Continental Shelf - Why do Sites and Landscapes Survive Inundation?
Sea Level and Climate
Non-Cultural Processes of Site Formation, Preservation and Destruction
Standard Core Variables for Continental Shelf Prehistoric Research and Their Availability
The Baltic Sea Basin
The Northwest Shelf
The North Sea
Northern North Sea and Atlantic Northwest Approaches
Paleolandscapes of the Celtic Sea and the Channel/La Manche
Irish Sea and Atlantic Margin
The Iberian Atlantic Margin
The Western Mediterranean Sea
Western Mediterranean: Annex Submerged Karst Structures of the French Mediterranean Coast: An Assessment
The Central Mediterranean
Physical Characteristics of the Continental Shelves of the East Mediterranean Basin, Submerged Settlements and Landscapes - Actual Finds and Potential Discoveries
Late Pleistocene Environmental Factors of the Aegean Region (Aegean Sea Including the Hellenic Arc) and the Identification of Potential Areas for Seabed Prehistoric Sites and Landscapes
Geological and Geomorphological Factors and Marine Conditions of the Azov-Black Sea Basin and Coastal Characteristics as They Determine Prospecting for Seabed Prehistoric Sites on the Continental Shelf
Late Pleistocene Environmental Factors defining the Black Sea, and Submerged Landscapes on the Western Continental Shelf
Submerged Prehistoric Heritage Potential of the Romanian Black Sea Shelf