Sunken treasure [ancient forest buried under the seabed of Nantucket Sound]

Boston Globe ^ | 4 Dec 05 | Beth Daley,

[Fractal Trader]

Scientists mapping the seabed under a proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound were stunned by their find: evidence of a submerged forest under 6 feet of mud.

It's hardly the lost city of Atlantis, but the piece of birch wood, the yellowish-green grass, soil, and insect parts appear to be part of a forest floor that lined the coastline 5,500 years ago, before being swallowed by the sea that rose after the last ice age. Nearby is evidence of a drowned kettle pond and marsh.

The find has scientists abuzz because if a preserved forest rests below the sea, maybe artifacts from ancient cultures do, too -- items that could help answer some of the most vexing questions about early people in North America. As more energy projects are proposed off New England, archaeologists say, there will be more opportunity for even bigger finds.

''We've been arguing for years whether there are remnant prehistoric landscapes out there and now we know they can exist," said Victor Mastone, director and chief archaeologist of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources. ''This means there is the potential to go after the big theory of how did people get here and how they lived."

Cape Wind Associates, which has proposed the wind farm, redesigned the 130-turbine project this year to avoid the discovered area.

So much of the world's water was locked up in glaciers during the ice age, ocean levels plummeted at least 300 feet. New England's continental shelf was exposed and in some places, the coastline extended more than 75 miles from its current location.

[SNIP]

The earliest evidence of Native Americans in New England has come from around this time -- a period when hunters could have walked from Falmouth to Nantucket.

[Fractal Trader]

GGG ping

[manic4organic]

Global warming. Bush's great-great-great-great-great grandfather's fault.

[Anselma]

Thanks for the post. It's a shame Barry Fell isn't alive to see this- he wrote, "America B.C."

[blam]

This shouldn't suprise anyone. We know the world's oceans rose by 300-500ft at the end of the Ice Age.

I have some 7,000 year old wood from a forest at the bottom of Santa Rosa Sound, Florida.

[Ditter]

They may even find a junk yard of old SUV's that brought the ice age to an end 5,500 years ago.


You know someone had to say it, that and it's Bushs fault. Now carry on.

[trek]

I can see right through this one. The super-rich who don't want the wind farm blocking their view (e.g. Walter Commiekrite) are floating this in order halt development. Why it would be a crime against history to build a wind farm on a site of potential historical importance. HOODWINK ALERT!

[cricket]

"Global warming. Bush's great-great-great-great-great grandfather's fault."

. . .LOL. . .good one!

[SunkenCiv]

The find has scientists abuzz because if a preserved forest rests below the sea, maybe artifacts from ancient cultures do, too...

Du-uh...

Thanks Fractal Trader! This energy exploration should not, however, prevent the DRILLING OF THE ANWR. ;')

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[SandRat]

if a preserved forest rests below the sea, that means that the planet was getting warmer all on its own and ocean levels have risen all without the "help" of humans; so maybe,... the Global Warming thing IS A MYTH Mr./Ms. Scientist!

[xcamel]

Weight added every day to my theory that man got here from europe, not asia.
(and if from asia, it was by boat, by accident, and in very small numbers)

[adam_az]

"I have some 7,000 year old wood"

That's some long acting viagra, old man! Might want to see a doctor about that.

[The Mayor]

Bingo!

[FreedomFarmer]

Spotted Sea Owl Alert!

[SubMareener]

And a 300-500ft increase in sea-level might seem like a world-wide flood to those experiencing it, don't you think?

[satchmodog9]

Will this be taken by the UN as a World Heritage site?

[Boundless]

> ... if a preserved forest rests below the sea, maybe
> artifacts from ancient cultures do, too ...

Surviving Naragansett indians, horrified at the prospect
of Viking beer mugs turning up, have demanded that this
all be declared presumptive sacred tribal lands, not open
to any discovery of actual facts.

[SunkenCiv]

Blowing in the Wind...
Still Waiting for Greenhouse | 22 Nov 03 | John Daly
Posted on 11/22/2003 11:00:57 AM PST by Dan Evans
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1027127/posts

Report sees few drawbacks on wind farm (off Nantucket)
Boston Globe | 11/08/2004 | Beth Daley
Posted on 11/08/2004 6:21:29 AM PST by worldclass
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1274236/posts

Energy agency lauds wind farm (Limousine Liberals losing ground)
Cape Cod Times | April 14, 2005 | Kevin Dennehy
Posted on 04/14/2005 11:46:53 AM PDT by DTogo
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1383738/posts

Wind-farm backers call on Kennedy, Romney
capecodonline.com | 11/9/05 | By DAVID KIBBE
Posted on 11/24/2005 7:29:04 PM PST by paltz
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1528178/posts

[Dustbunny]

Interesting.

[11Bush]

And a 300-500ft increase in sea-level might seem like a world-wide flood to those experiencing it, don't you think?

No more than a glacier's advance seems like an avalanche. They both happen at about the same speed.