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| Doggerland Research Programme | |
|---|---|
| Name | Doggerland Research Programme |
| Established | 2018 |
| Location | North Sea |
| Director | Historic England |
| Partners | Natural History Museum, London, British Geological Survey, University of St Andrews, University of Cambridge |
| Budget | £9 million (initial) |
Doggerland Research Programme
The Doggerland Research Programme is a multidisciplinary initiative investigating the submerged landscapes of the North Sea once connecting Great Britain and continental Europe. The programme coordinates research between institutions such as Historic England, Natural Environment Research Council, British Geological Survey, Natural History Museum, London, and universities including University of Cambridge and University of St Andrews. It integrates marine geology, palaeoenvironmental science, archaeology, and heritage management to reassess Mesolithic and Palaeolithic occupation, shifts linked to events like the Storegga Slide and sea-level rise after the Last Glacial Maximum.
The programme was launched to address long-standing questions about submerged Mesolithic landscapes, Mesolithic migrations, and coastal change following the Last Glacial Maximum, coordinating work among Historic England, Scotland's Historic Environment Research, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, and research hubs such as University of York and University of Aberdeen. It responds to discoveries connected to the Dogger Bank area, artefacts retrieved by commercial fishing fleets and reported to authorities like Marine Management Organisation and Historic Environment Scotland, as well as palaeogeographic reconstructions funded by bodies such as Natural Environment Research Council and influenced by earlier syntheses from Royal Society meetings and reports from UNESCO panels on underwater heritage.
Core objectives include mapping submerged landforms associated with human occupation, reconstructing palaeolandscapes, and understanding regional responses to events such as the Storegga Slide tsunami and Holocene sea-level rise recorded by IPCC assessments. Scope spans sediment coring with teams from British Geological Survey, palaeoecological analysis at Natural History Museum, London, lithic studies at University of Sheffield, ancient DNA studies linked to Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and integration with maritime archaeology frameworks from Cotswold Archaeology and Archaeological Research Services.
Survey methods combine geophysical techniques used by vessels chartered through University of Southampton and Plymouth Marine Laboratory with sediment coring methods standardised by British Geological Survey and palaeobotanical sampling protocols from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Remote sensing includes sidescan sonar and multibeam echo-sounding employed on ships associated with National Oceanography Centre and research fleets coordinated with European Marine Observation and Data Network. Chronology relies on radiocarbon dating performed at laboratories like Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre and Bayesian modelling developed at University of Oxford, while stable isotope work connects labs at Cardiff University and University of Glasgow.
Surveys revealed palaeochannels, peat deposits, and palaeosols indicating extensive Mesolithic habitation comparable to terrestrial records at sites such as Star Carr and Howick. Faunal remains correlated with datasets from Natural History Museum, London and palaeoenvironmental sequences match pollen assemblages studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. Evidence suggests links between human populations implicated in genetic studies at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and migration models advanced by researchers at University College London and University of Cambridge. Geomorphological analyses by British Geological Survey and tsunami modelling referencing the Storegga Slide clarify timing of inundation episodes relative to seafloor stratigraphy analysed via cores at Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre.
The programme formalises collaborations among archaeological teams at University of York, palaeoclimatologists at University of Exeter, marine geophysicists at National Oceanography Centre, and conservation scientists at Historic England. It engages geneticists at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, micropalaeontologists at Natural History Museum, London, and modelling groups at Met Office and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Partnerships extend internationally to groups at University of Copenhagen, Leiden University, Uppsala University, and agencies such as Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed and Danish Agency for Culture.
Conservation strategies align with policies advocated by UNESCO and regional heritage authorities like Historic Environment Scotland and Cadw. Outreach includes exhibitions co-curated with National Maritime Museum, educational programmes with British Geological Survey, and citizen science initiatives engaging fishing communities coordinated through Marine Management Organisation and Cornwall Archaeological Unit. Public dissemination occurs via collaborations with museums such as National Museum of Scotland, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, and media partnerships with outlets like BBC and publishing with academic presses at Cambridge University Press.
Funding sources include grants from Arts and Humanities Research Council, strategic investments by Historic England, and support from Natural Environment Research Council and philanthropic bodies such as the Wolfson Foundation and Leverhulme Trust. Governance is overseen by steering committees with representatives from Historic England, Natural Environment Research Council, British Geological Survey, and partner universities, operating within ethical frameworks referenced by UNESCO and national legislation administered by bodies like Marine Management Organisation and Historic Environment Scotland. Timelines map phased surveys from initial 2018 baseline mapping through successive field seasons coordinated with research vessels from National Oceanography Centre and analytical phases at partner laboratories, with ongoing work into the 2020s and planned integration into long-term heritage strategies led by Historic England and international partners.