The Remembered Land: Surviving Sea-level Rise after the Last Ice Age (Debates in Archaeology)

"How did small-scale societies in the past experience and respond to sea-level rise? What happened when their dwellings, hunting grounds and ancestral lands were lost under an advancing tide? This book asks these questions in relation to the hunter-gatherer inhabitants of a lost prehistoric land; a land that became entirely inundated and now lies beneath the North Sea. It seeks to understand how these people viewed and responded to their changing environment, suggesting that people were not struggling against nature, but simply getting on with life--with all its trials and hardships, satisfactions and pleasures, and with a multitude of choices available. At the same time, this loss of land--the loss of places and familiar locales where myths were created and identities formed--would have profoundly affected people's sense of being. This book moves beyond the static approach normally applied to environmental change in the past to capture its nuances. Through this, a richer and more complex story of past sea-level rise develops; a story that may just have resonance for us today."-- How did small-scale societies in the past experience and respond to sea-level rise? What happened when their dwellings, hunting grounds and ancestral lands were lost under an advancing tide? This book asks these questions in relation to the hunter-gatherer inhabitants of a lost prehistoric land; a land that became entirely inundated and now lies beneath the North Sea. It seeks to understand how these people viewed and responded to their changing environment, suggesting that people were not struggling against nature, but simply getting on with life - with all its trials and hardships, satisfactions and pleasures, and with a multitude of choices available. At the same time, this loss of land - the loss of places and familiar locales where myths were created and identities formed - would have profoundly affected people's sense of being. This book moves beyond the static approach normally applied to environmental change in the past to capture its nuances. Through this, a richer and more complex story of past sea-level rise develops; a story that may just have resonance for us today How Did Small-scale Societies In The Past Experience And Respond To Sea-level Rise? What Happened When Their Dwellings, Hunting Grounds And Ancestral Lands Were Lost Under An Advancing Tide? This Book Asks These Questions In Relation To The Hunter-gatherer Inhabitants Of A Lost Prehistoric Land; A Land That Became Entirely Inundated And Now Lies Beneath The North Sea. It Seeks To Understand How These People Viewed And Responded To Their Changing Environment, Suggesting That People Were Not Struggling Against Nature, But Simply Getting On With Life--with All Its Trials And Hardships, Satisfactions And Pleasures, And With A Multitude Of Choices Available. At The Same Time, This Loss Of Land--the Loss Of Places And Familiar Locales Where Myths Were Created And Identities Formed--would Have Profoundly Affected People's Sense Of Being. This Book Moves Beyond The Static Approach Normally Applied To Environmental Change In The Past To Capture Its Nuances. Through This, A Richer And More Complex Story Of Past Sea-level Rise Develops; A Story That May Just Have Resonance For Us Today-- Part 1. To Begin : Recognizing Northsealand -- Part 2. Landscape : Thinking The Imagined Land -- The People Of Northsealand -- Shaping The World With Ice And Sea -- Part 3. Effects : Changing Worlds -- Losing Place -- Part 4. Responses : Living In A Changing World -- Knowledge, Networks And Social Memory -- Being Pragmatic -- Part 5. To End : The Remembered Land -- Epilogue. Jim Leary ; With Illustrations By Elaine Jamieson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "How did small-scale societies in the past experience and respond to sea-level rise? What happened when their dwellings, hunting grounds and ancestral lands were lost under an advancing tide? This book asks these questions in relation to the hunter-gatherer inhabitants of a lost prehistoric land; a land that became entirely inundated and now lies beneath the North Sea. It seeks to understand how these people viewed and responded to their changing environment, suggesting that people were not struggling against nature, but simply getting on with life--with all its trials and hardships, satisfactions and pleasures, and with a multitude of choices available. At the same time, this loss of land--the loss of places and familiar locales where myths were created and identities formed--would have profoundly affected people's sense of being. This book moves beyond the static approach normally applied to environmental change in the past to capture its nuances. Through this, a richer and more complex story of past sea-level rise develops; a story that may just have resonance for us today"-- {u01C2}c Provided by publisher FC 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Part One: To Begin 14 1. Recognizing Northsealand 16 Part Two: Landscape 26 2. Thinking the Imagined Land 28 3. The People of Northsealand 40 4. Shaping the World with Ice and Sea 48 Part Three: Effects 56 5. Changing Worlds 58 6. Losing Place 74 Part Four: Responses 82 8. Knowledge, Networks and Social Memory 92 9. Being Pragmatic 100 Part Five: To End 110 10. The Remembered Land 112 Epilogue 124 Notes 126 Index 173