The settlements along the then coastline were swallowed by the rising sea 8,500 years ago. This happened during a period when the sea level rose by about two meters per century, explains Peter Moe Astrup, marine archaeologist at Moesgaard Museum, to the news agency AP.
Together with colleagues, he has investigated an area of approximately 40 square meters off Århus. Everything has been preserved in an oxygen-free environment and the wood that is found is very well-preserved.
It's like a time capsule, says Peter Moe Astrup to the news agency.
Previously, the researchers have found, among other things, animal bones, stone tools and arrowheads. The bottom is combed with the help of a kind of vacuum cleaner that collects material for further analysis.
Annual rings in tree stumps that have been preserved in clay and sediment can show when the area they are found in was flooded by seawater. In that way, the researchers can get information about how the sea level has changed over time.
The underwater excavations are taking place within the framework of an EU-funded project, in which researchers from the United Kingdom and Germany are also participating. Similar dives are also being made off the coast of Germany and the plan is to later also investigate two sites on the bottom of the North Sea.
