Sea-level rise and archaeological site destruction: An example from the southeastern United States using DINAA (Digital Index of North American Archaeology)

The impact of changing climate on terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes can be examined through quantitatively-based analyses encompassing large data samples and broad geographic and temporal scales. The Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA) is a multi-institutional collaboration that allows researchers online access to linked heritage data from multiple sources and data sets. The effects of sea-level rise and concomitant human population relocation is examined using a sample from nine states encompassing much of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States. A 1 m rise in sea-level will result in the loss of over \u3e13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, as well as over 1000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), encompassing archaeological sites, standing structures, and other cultural properties. These numbers increase substantially with each additional 1 m rise in sea level, with \u3e32,000 archaeological sites and \u3e2400 NRHP properties lost should a 5 m rise occur. Many more unrecorded archaeological and historic sites will also be lost as large areas of the landscape are flooded. The displacement of millions of people due to rising seas will cause additional impacts where these populations resettle. Sea level rise will thus result in the loss of much of the record of human habitation of the coastal margin in the Southeast within the next one to two centuries, and the numbers indicate the magnitude of the impact on the archaeological record globally. Construction of large linked data sets is essential to developing procedures for sampling, triage, and mitigation of these impacts

Sea-level rise and archaeological site destruction: An example from the southeastern United States using DINAA (Digital Index of North American Archaeology).

The impact of changing climate on terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes can be examined through quantitatively-based analyses encompassing large data samples and broad geographic and temporal scales. The Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA) is a multi-institutional collaboration that allows researchers online access to linked heritage data from multiple sources and data sets. The effects of sea-level rise and concomitant human population relocation is examined using a sample from nine states encompassing much of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States. A 1 m rise in sea-level will result in the loss of over >13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, as well as over 1000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), encompassing archaeological sites, standing structures, and other cultural properties. These numbers increase substantially with each additional 1 m rise in sea level, with >32,000 archaeological sites and >2400 NRHP properties lost should a 5 m rise occur. Many more unrecorded archaeological and historic sites will also be lost as large areas of the landscape are flooded. The displacement of millions of people due to rising seas will cause additional impacts where these populations resettle. Sea level rise will thus result in the loss of much of the record of human habitation of the coastal margin in the Southeast within the next one to two centuries, and the numbers indicate the magnitude of the impact on the archaeological record globally. Construction of large linked data sets is essential to developing procedures for sampling, triage, and mitigation of these impacts

Archaeological site loss in the southeastern United States due to sea level rise within 200 km of the coast.

<p>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref072" target="_blank">72</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref073" target="_blank">73</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref151" target="_blank">151</a>].</p

Land area loss in the southeastern United States due to sea level rise, in sq km.

<p>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref108" target="_blank">108</a>].</p

Population displacement in the southeastern United States due to sea level rise.

<p>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref106" target="_blank">106</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref107" target="_blank">107</a>].</p

DINAA links information in a wide range of online data repositories, using archaeological site numbers as the common referent.

<p>DINAA directs users to these outlets, but access and content control remains on their systems (black arrows indicate existing linkages, white arrows indicate linkages under development).</p

Site incidence as it relates to potential loss from sea-level rise, grouped by elevation in meters above present mean sea level.

<p><b>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref072" target="_blank">72</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref073" target="_blank">73</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref151" target="_blank">151</a>].</b> All recorded sites within a buffer of 200 km from the present coastline are shown.</p

Land area in the southeastern United States within 50 m AMSL.

<p>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref108" target="_blank">108</a>].</p

Archaeological site and component loss in South Carolina due to sea level rise within 200 km of the coast.

<p><b>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref073" target="_blank">73</a>].</b> PI = Paleoindian. EA = Early Archaic, MA = Middle Archaic, LA = Late Archaic, AA = Any Archaic, EW = Early Woodland, MW = Middle Woodland, LW = Late Woodland, AW = Any Woodland, M = Mississippian, LP = Late Prehistoric, UP = Unknown Prehistoric, CEP = Contact Era/Protohistoric, 16^th = 16^th Century Historic, 17^th = 17^th Century Historic, 18^th = 18^th Century Historic, 19^th = 19^th Century Historic, 20^th = 20^th Century Historic, UH = Unidentified Historic.</p

DINAA partnerships as of July 2017 with dot density plot showing distribution of cultural resources at low resolution within states whose data have been received thus far.

<p><b>Data: [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188142#pone.0188142.ref073" target="_blank">73</a>].</b> Ohio and most Pennsylvania site data is at county-level resolution.</p