No / Abstract: This paper focuses on the submerged landscapes of the southern North Sea, an area often referred to as Doggerland, which was inundated as a result of relative sea-level rise at the start of the Holocene. The timing, pattern and process of environmental changes and the implica­ tions for prehistoric (Mesolithic) human communities living in this area have long been a subject of debate and discussion. Recent developments in marine geophysics have pemtitted the mapping of the pre-submergence landscape, leading to the identification oflandforms including river channels and other contexts suitable for the preservation of palaeoecological records. The paper describes multi-proxy (pollen, foraminifera, plant macrofossil and insect) palaeoenvironmental analyses of a vibrocore sequence recovered from a palaeochannel feature c. 80 km off the coast of eastern England. The palaeocbsnnel preserves sediments of Late Pleistocene and Holocene age (MIS2/l); the record suggests that channel incision, probably duting the early Holocene, was followed by a phase of peat formation (c. 9-10 cal ka BP) indicating paludification and the subsequent reactiva­ tion of the cbsnnel (c. 9-6 cal ka BP), initially under freshwater and increasingly brackish/saline conditions, and a final transition to full marine conditions (6-5 cal ka BP). The pollen, macrofossil and beetle records indicate the presence of pre-submergence deciduous woodland, but detailed interpretation of the data is hindered by taphonomic complications.The paper concludes with a dis­ cussion of the problems and potentials of using palaeoenvironmental data to reconstruct complex patterns of environmental change across Doggerland in four dimensions, and considers specific questions concerning the implications of such processes for Mesolithic human communities.

Yes / This paper describes some results of the research undertaken over the Brown Bank area during recent (2018/2019) geoarchaeological surveys in the North Sea which included seismic imaging, shallow (vibro)coring and dredging. It examines the benefits of simultaneous high-resolution (0.5 – 1m) and ultra-high-resolution (10 – 20cm) seismic survey techniques and a staged approach to resolving the submerged Holocene landscape in the highest possible detail for the purpose of targeted prospecting for archaeological material from the Mesolithic landscape of Doggerland. The materials recovered from such surveys offer significantly greater information due to an enhanced understanding of the context in which they were recovered. The importance of this information cannot be understated archaeologically, as few locations on land provide the opportunity to recover archaeological finds in situ within preserved landscapes. Moreover, it allows offshore areas of potential human activity to be prospected with some certainty of success. / ERC

No / As this volume, the final monograph of the SPLASHCOS network, was being finalised, the European Research Council agreed to fund a major new project relating to the marine palaeolandscapes of the southern North Sea. Emerging from the earlier work of the North Sea Palaeolandscapes Project (NSPP), the Lost Frontiers project seeks to go beyond the maps generated by that ground-breaking research. Led by researchers in the fields of archaeogeophysics, molecular biology and computer simulation, the project seeks to develop a new paradigm for the study of past environments, ecological change and the transition between hunter gathering societies and farming in North West Europe. Following from earlier work, the project will seek to release the full potential of the available seismic reflectance data sets to generate topographical maps of the whole of early Holocene Doggerland that are as accurate and complete as possible. Using these data, the study will then reconstruct and simulate the emerging palaeoenvironments of Doggerland using conventional palaeoenvironmental data, as well as ancient DNA extracted directly from sediment cores along the routes of two submerged river valleys. Using this base data, the project aims to transform our understanding of the colonisation and development of floral, faunal and human life, to explore the Mesolithic landscapes and to identify incipient Neolithic signals indicating early contact and development within the region of Doggerland. / European Research Council’s support for the Lost Frontiers Project through the provision of an Advanced Grant (Grant Agreement 670518 ERC-2014-ADG/ERC-2014-ADG).

Yes / Around 8150 BP, the Storegga tsunami struck North-west Europe. The size of this wave has led many to assume that it had a devastating impact upon contemporaneous Mesolithic communities, including the final inundation of Doggerland, the now submerged Mesolithic North Sea landscape. Here, the authors present the first evidence of the tsunami from the southern North Sea, and suggest that traditional notions of a catastrophically destructive event may need rethinking. In providing a more nuanced interpretation by incorporating the role of local topographic variation within the study of the Storegga event, we are better placed to understand the impact of such dramatic occurrences and their larger significance in settlement studies. / The study was supported by European Research Council funding through the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (project 670518 LOST FRONTIERS, https://erc.europa.eu/ https://lostfrontiers.teamapp.com/) and the Estonian Research Council grant (https://www.etag.ee; project PUTJD829).

Yes / Doggerland was a landmass occupying an area currently covered by the North Sea until marine inundation took place during the mid-Holocene, ultimately separating the British landmass from the rest of Europe. The Storegga Event, which triggered a tsunami reflected in sediment deposits in the northern North Sea, northeast coastlines of the British Isles and across the North Atlantic, was a major event during this transgressive phase. The spatial extent of the Storegga tsunami however remains unconfirmed as, to date, no direct evidence for the event has been recovered from the southern North Sea. We present evidence of a tsunami deposit in the southern North Sea at the head of a palaeo-river system that has been identified using seismic survey. The evidence, based on lithostratigraphy, geochemical signatures, macro and microfossils and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), supported by optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating, suggests that these deposits were a result of the tsunami. Seismic identification of this stratum and analysis of adjacent cores showed diminished traces of the tsunami which was largely removed by subsequent erosional processes. Our results confirm previous modelling of the impact of the tsunami within this area of the southern North Sea, and also indicate that these effects were temporary, localized, and mitigated by the dense woodland and topography of the area. We conclude that clear physical remnants of the wave in these areas are likely to be restricted to now buried, palaeo-inland basins and incised river valley systems.

Yes / The subject area of the Europe's Lost Frontiers project, the submerged landscape of Doggerland, is inaccessible and the data by which we can understand it is complex and hard for the non-specialist to understand. In order to be able to present the project at public events, an Augmented Reality sandbox was constructed, which records the shape of sand in a box, interprets it as a landscape inhabited by humans, animals and plants, and projects this simulated land back on to the sand. Different software packages can be used to highlight the effects of climate change or provide examples of the different types of evidence available to archaeologists researching submerged landscapes. The end result is an interactive, accessible display which attracts all ages and can be used as a starting point to conversation regarding the project's archaeological, scientific and technological aspects.

Ten thousand years ago Great Britain was a part of the European continent, where the surface of the North Sea was about 70 metres below present sea level. The large, prehistoric submerged landmass that connected the island of Great Britain to the European continent is now widely known as Doggerland. 85 samples from six different cores, which were collected from this prehistoric landscape, were studied using multi proxy -organic and inorganic- geochemical methods. Thermal analysis determined the organic matter and carbonate content, which were utilized as characterizing indices, dividing each core into various depositional units. In addition, lipid analysis studying three sets of biomarkers (n-alkanes, fatty acids and sterols), was used to distinguish between various depositional environments, especially between terrestrial and aquatic. Furthermore, the cores were mineralogically analysed using the detected clay and non-clay minerals as depositional indicators; significant states such as high and low energy environments, palaeosoil, type of weathering and stone types were identified and used to recognize any mineralogical and thus depositional alteration. Finally, the sulfur isotope analysis identified different sources of sulfur, which were then used as environmental distinguishing proxies. An integration of these analytical results provided a detailed geochemical history of each core; importantly, a Storegga tsunami deposit was detected in core ELF01A. The primary contribution of this thesis was establishing an analytical approach using combined results from a range of analytical methods. The established approach can be used to study the depositional settings for any cored sediments. / Libyan government