Sea-Level Rise Predicted to Threaten >13,000 Archaeological Sites in Southeastern US

Researchers analyzed heritage data integrated in the Digital Index of North American Archaeology.

Sea-level rise may impact vast numbers of archaeological and historic sites, cemeteries, and landscapes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southeastern United States, according to a study published November 29, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by David Anderson from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA, and colleagues.

To estimate the impact of sea-level rise on archaeological sites, the authors of the present study analyzed data from the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA). DINAA aggregates archaeological and historical data sets developed over the past century from numerous sources, providing the public and research communities with a uniquely comprehensive window into human settlement.

Just in the remainder of this century, if projected trends in sea-level rise continue, the researchers predict that over 13,000 recorded archaeological sites in the southeast alone may be submerged with a 1 m rise in sea-level, including over 1,000 listed on the National Register of Historic Places as important cultural properties. Many more sites and structures that have not yet been recorded will also be lost.

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