An illustration of a record of a 2D seismic line taken adjacent to the coast along the eastern edge of the Liverpool Bay study area, with, underneath, an archaeological interpretation of the same record. The current seabed is shown as a red line.Two distinct prehistoric river channels (outlined in green) are evident in the profile.

 

 

Identifying submerged landscape features - 2D

To understand how archaeologists use the data from seismic reflection survey we can look at some examples from 2 and 3D data sets. The diagram on the left shows an example of a record of a 2D seismic line taken adjacent to the coast along the eastern edge of the Liverpool Bay study area with, underneath, an archaeological interpretation. The present day sea floor is represented as a red horizontal line with very little undulation, which indicates the flat nature of the seabed in this area. Beneath the seabed, the seismic image shows, in profile, two large prehistoric river channels cut into the underlying deposits. These are part of a complex river system that dominated this area of Liverpool Bay and provided prehistoric communities with a wealth of resources, including water, game, fish and reeds for basketry and matting. A seismic line (below) taken from the Bristol Channel study area, close to the coast of Tenby, illustrates a more complex landscape including low hills and rises. Such features were important in an otherwise low-lying landscape providing hunters with views of the grazing herds on the lowland plains.

 

Another 2D seismic line, this time taken near the Welsh coast of the Bristol Channel, with, underneath, an archaeological interpretation of the same record. The current seabed is shown as a red line. Underneath this, the prehistoric land surface of low hills and rises is highlighted in green.

 

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