The TerraSubmersa Project is a research project primarily focusing on the studies and mapping of the submerged history and archaeology beneath the Aegean Sea, mainly the Argolic Gulf, off the east coast of the Peloponnese, Greece. the goal of the project is to better understand the effects of rising sea levels on the area early humans lived and how the moved around the Eastern Mediterranean.

Background

After the last Ice age, sea levels began to rise during the early Holocene period. The rising waters caused many coastal areas around the Mediterranean to be covered by water. The TerraSubmersa Project was created to study those areas and better understand how people during the prehistoric times adapted to these environmental changes.

Organization and collaboration

The TerraSubmersa Project started by the University of Geneva, collaborating with Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR). The Cousteau Society had done all the fieldwork, providing assistance during research trips, the use of their research ship, and R/V Alcyone used to survey the Argolic Gulf.

Methods

The TerraSubmersa Project combines archaeology with marine tools and techniques, such as multibeam sonar, sub bottom profiling, and sediment coring. These methods are frequently used while conducting marine archaeology studies in submerged areas. They help researchers rebuild ancient areas and locate clues and feature of older environments.

Research goals

The TerraSubmersa Project goals are to:

  • Reconstructing submerged paleo landscapes in the Argolic Gulf.
  • Identifying zones of early Holocene human activity.
  • Investigating the relationship between sea-level rise and human adaptation.
  • Contributing to the study of prehistoric migration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

See also