Not a bathtub: A consideration of sea-level physics for archaeological models of human migration

Indonesia has a great potential to be a country-wide laboratory of underwater landscape study. This is due to the fact that its two main contingents, Sunda and Sahul, had been experiencing sea level rise event in the late of ice age which intersected the timeline of prehistoric human migration. Even though Indonesian ocean preserves the richness of underwater resources, including archaeological data, the study itself has not been touched by many. This paper will focus in two objectives: 1) Reconstructing paleo-river model and;2) Potential prehistoric remnants in Misool Islands caves. The method used includes field survey by diving and data brackets by using sub-bottom profiler. Besides, we also conducted literature reviews.The results of this study indicate that the Sunda and Sahul Exposures are likely to be inhabited by humans, but at this time the remains have sunk on the seabed. It is hoped that this study can be the basis and motivation for future archeological research such as prehistoric human settlements and migration in a submerged landscape environment.Keywords:Submerged landscape, Sunda shelf, Sahul shelf, Sea-level change, Underwater archaeologyIndonesia memiliki potensi yang besar untuk menjadi sebuah laboratorium penelitian lanskap bawah air. Gagasan ini didasarkan pada fakta bahwa dua kontingen yang membentuk Indonesia, Paparan Sunda dan Sahul, mengalami perubahan air laut pada akhir zaman es yang bersinggungan dengan migrasi manusia prasejarah. Walaupun lautan Indonesia menyimpan kekayaan alam, termasuk data arkeologi, penelitian tentang lanskap bawah laut belum banyak disentuh. Studi ini bertujuan untuk membahas dua hal: 1) rekonstruksi model sungai purba dan;2) potensi peninggalan jejak prasejarah di gua bawah air di Pulau Misool. Metode yang digunakan adalah melakukan survei lapangan, dengan melakukan penyelaman dan perkeman data menggunakan alat akustik sub-bottom profiler, selain itu kami juga melakukan kajian dan review pustaka. Hasil studi ini menunjukkan bahwa Paparan Sunda dan Sahul kemungkinan besar telah dihuni oleh manusia namun pada saat ini peninggalannya telah tenggelam di dasar laut, diharapkan kajian ini dapat menjadi dasar dan motivasi untuk riset arkeologi mendatang seperti hunian dan migrasi manusia prasejarah pada lingkungan lanskap yang tenggelam.Kata kunci: Lanskap bawah air, Paparan sunda, Paparan sahul, Perubahan tinggi air laut, Arkeologi bawah air

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Optical dating of arid coastline deposits – the challenge of dating evaporitic sediments

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-22250 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andreas Lang ◽

Mohammad Alsuwaidi ◽

Barbara Mauz

Keyword(s):

Dose Rate ◽

Sea Level ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Open Systems ◽

Arabian Gulf ◽

Human Migration ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Optical Dating ◽

Sedimentary Environments ◽

Marginal Sea

The Arabian Gulf is a small shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean. Its Pleistocene-Holocene sea-level history is of great interest for reconstructing human migration routes into Mesopotamia as well as for better understanding the recent convergence rate between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. For establishing the sea-level history, the ages of past shoreline deposits must be known.Here we present the optical dating procedure of intertidal carbonate deposits sampled in the coastal area south of Abu Dhabi city (United Arab Emirates). We focus on the challenge of determining a reliable dose rate of samples that are in secular disequilibrium and compare our results with age data obtained from AMS 14C dating.For optical dating quartz grains of 90-150 mm were extracted and the equivalent dose was determined from 1 mm aliquots using a standard single-aliquot regenerative dose protocol. Data analysis employed statistical analysis to approximate the palaeodose assuming that all grains measured were sufficiently bleached at time of deposition. For determining the dose rate the radionuclide activities were first quantified by simulating the radiation field of the chemically and physically described samples using gamma spectrometry. These modern activities were then taken to back calculate the activities using well-described double differential equations for open systems. This approach leads to multiple solutions.We show details of the approach and discuss on the basis of the solutions reasonable open-system assumptions for various sedimentary environments.

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Post-glacial flooding of the Beringia Land Bridge dated to 11,000 cal yrs BP based on new geophysical and sediment records

10.5194/cp-2017-11 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Martin Jakobsson ◽

Christof Pearce ◽

Thomas M. Cronin ◽

Jan Backman ◽

Leif G. Anderson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Chukchi Sea ◽

Isotope Composition ◽

Younger Dryas ◽

Human Migration ◽

The Arctic ◽

Bering Strait ◽

Land Bridge

Abstract. The Bering Strait connects the Arctic and Pacific oceans and separates the North American and Asian land masses. The presently shallow (~ 53 m) strait was exposed during the sea-level lowstand of the last glacial period, which permitted human migration across a land bridge referred to as Beringia. Proxy studies (stabile isotope composition of foraminifera, whale migration into the Arctic Ocean, mollusc and insect fossils and paleobotanical data) have suggested a range of ages for the Bering Strait reopening, mainly falling within the Younger Dryas stadial (12.9–11.7 ka). Here we provide new information on the deglacial and post-glacial evolution of the Arctic-Pacific connection through the Bering Strait based on analyses of geological and geophysical data from Herald Canyon, located north of the Bering Strait on the Chukchi Sea shelf region in the western Arctic Ocean. Our results suggest an initial opening at about 11 ka in the earliest Holocene, which is later when compared to several previous studies. Our key evidence is based on a well dated core from Herald Canyon, in which a shift from a near-shore environment to a Pacific-influenced open marine setting around 11 ka is observed. The shift corresponds to Meltwater Pulse 1b (MWP1b) and is interpreted to signify relatively rapid breaching of the Bering Strait and submergence of the large Beringia Land Bridge. Although precise rates of sea-level rise cannot be quantified, our new results suggest that the late deglacial sea-level rise was rapid, and occurred after the end of the Younger Dryas stadial.

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Sea-level rise and human migration

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment ◽

10.1038/s43017-019-0002-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 28-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mathew E. Hauer ◽

Elizabeth Fussell ◽

Valerie Mueller ◽

Maxine Burkett ◽

Maia Call ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Human Migration

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Potential of submerged landscape archaeology in Indonesia

KALPATARU ◽

10.24832/kpt.v28i1.505 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 55

Author(s):

Shinatria Adhityatama ◽

Ajeng Salma Yarista

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Field Survey ◽

Landscape Archaeology ◽

Human Migration ◽

Ice Age ◽

Sunda Shelf ◽

Archaeological Data ◽

Level Change ◽

Shelf Sea ◽

And Migration

Abstract. Indonesia has a great potential to be a country-wide laboratory of underwater landscape study. This is due to the fact that its two main contingents, Sunda and Sahul, had been experiencing sea level rise event in the late of ice age , in which intersectedcrosses the timeline of prehistoric human migration. Even though Indonesian ocean preserves the richness of underwater resources, including archaeological data, the study itself has not been touched by many. This paper will focus in two objectives: 1) Reconstructing paleo-river model and; 2) Potential prehistoric remnants in Misool Islands caves. The method used includes a field survey , by diving and data brackets by using sub-bottom profiler. Besides, we also conducted literature reviews.The results of this study indicate that the Sunda and Sahul Exposures are likely to be inhabited by humans, but at this time the remains have sunk on the seabed. It is hoped that this study can be the basis and motivation for future archeological research such as prehistoric human settlements and migration in a submerged landscape environment.Keywords: Submerged landscape, Sunda shelf, Sahul shelf, Sea-level change, Underwater archaeologyAbstrak. Indonesia memiliki potensi yang besar untuk menjadi sebuah laboratorium penelitian lanskap bawah air. Gagasan ini didasarkan pada fakta bahwa dua kontingen yang membentuk Indonesia, Paparan Sunda dan Sahul, mengalami perubahan air laut pada akhir zaman es yang bersinggungan dengan migrasi manusia prasejarah. Walaupun lautan Indonesia menyimpan kekayaan alam, termasuk data arkeologi, penelitian tentang lanskap bawah laut belum banyak disentuh. Studi ini bertujuan untuk membahas dua hal: 1) rekonstruksi model sungai purba dan ;2) potensi peninggalan jejak prasejarah di gua bawah air di Pulau Misool. Metode yang digunakan adalah melakukan survei lapangan, dengan melakukan penyelaman dan perkeman data menggunakan alat akustik sub-bottom profiler, selain itu kami juga melakukan kajian dan review pustaka.Hasil studi ini menunjukkan bahwa Paparan Sunda dan Sahul kemungkinan besar telah dihuni oleh manusia namun pada saat ini peninggalannya telah tenggelam di dasar laut, diharapkan kajian ini dapat menjadi dasar dan motivasi untuk riset arkeologi mendatang seperti hunian dan migrasi manusia prasejarah pada lingkungan lanskap yang tenggelam.Kata kunci: Lanskap bawah air, Paparan sunda, Paparan sahul, Perubahan tinggi air laut, Arkeologi bawah air

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Meeting the looming policy challenge of sea-level change and human migration

Nature Climate Change ◽

10.1038/s41558-019-0640-4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 898-901 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

D. J. Wrathall ◽

V. Mueller ◽

P. U. Clark ◽

A. Bell ◽

M. Oppenheimer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Sea Level Change ◽

Human Migration ◽

Level Change ◽

Policy Challenge

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10Be dating Cordilleran-Laurentide ice-sheet separation during the last deglaciation

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-12713 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jorie Clark ◽

Anders Carlson ◽

Alberto Reyes ◽

Glenn Milne

Keyword(s):

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Ice Sheet ◽

Human Migration ◽

Laurentide Ice Sheet ◽

Canadian Rocky Mountains ◽

Last Deglaciation ◽

Migration Patterns ◽

Global Sea Level ◽

Separation Results

During the last glacial maximum, the Cordilleran and Laurentide ice sheets met just to the east of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, forming an ice-sheet saddle. When this saddle disappeared has implications on deglacial global sea-level rise and abrupt climate change as well as human migration patterns to the Americas. We will present new 10-Be boulder ages from six sites on a ~1100 km transect along the ice-sheet suture zone, to date Cordilleran-Laurentide ice-sheet separation. Results will directly test whether or not Cordilleran-Laurentide separation contributed to abrupt sea-level rise during meltwater pulse 1a (14.6-14.3 ka) in response to abrupt B&#248;lling warming (14.6-14.0 ka).

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Catastrophic early Holocene sea level rise, human migration and the Neolithic transition in Europe

Quaternary Science Reviews ◽

10.1016/j.quascirev.2007.07.003 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 26 (17-18) ◽

pp. 2036-2041 ◽

Cited By ~ 92

Author(s):

Chris S.M. Turney ◽

Heidi Brown

Keyword(s):

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Human Migration ◽

Early Holocene ◽

Neolithic Transition ◽

Holocene Sea Level

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Consequences of rapid ice sheet melting on the Sahelian population vulnerability

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1619358114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 114 (25) ◽

pp. 6533-6538 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Dimitri Defrance ◽

Gilles Ramstein ◽

Sylvie Charbit ◽

Mathieu Vrac ◽

Adjoua Moïse Famien ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Global Climate ◽

Ice Sheet ◽

Human Migration ◽

Freshwater Discharge ◽

Population Increase ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Sahel Region

The acceleration of ice sheet melting has been observed over the last few decades. Recent observations and modeling studies have suggested that the ice sheet contribution to future sea level rise could have been underestimated in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. The ensuing freshwater discharge coming from ice sheets could have significant impacts on global climate, and especially on the vulnerable tropical areas. During the last glacial/deglacial period, megadrought episodes were observed in the Sahel region at the time of massive iceberg surges, leading to large freshwater discharges. In the future, such episodes have the potential to induce a drastic destabilization of the Sahelian agroecosystem. Using a climate modeling approach, we investigate this issue by superimposing on the Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) baseline experiment a Greenland flash melting scenario corresponding to an additional sea level rise ranging from 0.5 m to 3 m. Our model response to freshwater discharge coming from Greenland melting reveals a significant decrease of the West African monsoon rainfall, leading to changes in agricultural practices. Combined with a strong population increase, described by different demography projections, important human migration flows could be potentially induced. We estimate that, without any adaptation measures, tens to hundreds million people could be forced to leave the Sahel by the end of this century. On top of this quantification, the sea level rise impact over coastal areas has to be superimposed, implying that the Sahel population could be strongly at threat in case of rapid Greenland melting.

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