The Social Context of Submerged Prehistoric Landscapes

This project was commissioned by English Heritage to draw together an international group of experts on prehistory, maritime archaeology and marine geoarchaeology for a one day meeting. Their brief was to consider the social context and significance of England's submerged prehistoric landscapes. Specifically, the meeting had the following aims and objectives: a. Enhance our understanding of the results of previous offshore projects by: Discussing the current state of knowledge; Describing current key concerns for each period and considering how the submerged record may contribute to understanding them; Reflecting on recent work in other regions and using the knowledge gained to reappraise the English record. b. Develop/describe new approaches to England's submerged prehistoric landscapes: Hold focused discussion on current knowledge/approaches to assessment and modelling of the archaeological potential and significance of mapped palaeo-landscapes; Assess the potential of new approaches to these spaces in order to stimulate new research; Investigate how/if we can ascribe significance to particular landforms/offshore features; Learn from methods employed in on-going projects overseas and consider their applicability to the UK; Evaluate the range of different options available to us from both practical and theoretical standpoints. c. Evaluate how to disseminate the results of the project to as wide an audience as possible: Produce a freely available report on the outcomes of the meeting; Assess the value of producing a volume on this subject, and if appropriate create a plan for it.