Joint 69th Annual Southeastern / 55th Annual Northeastern Section Meeting - 2020

Paper No. 30-6
Presentation Time: 11:35 AM

ARCHEOLOGICAL RECORD AND SEA LEVEL RISE IN THE DELAWARE BAY


NIKITINA, Daria1, WHOLEY, Heather2, POWERS, Michael1, KNIGHT, Cameron1 and DOWLING, Katherine1, (1)Earth and Space Sciences, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, 207 Merion Science Center, West Chester, PA 19383, (2)Anthropology and Sociology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA 18382

The Delaware Bay is the second largest estuary along the U.S. Atlantic coast that has been occupied by humans since Paleoindian period (22,000 B.P). Most of the estuarine shoreline is fringed by salt marshes that have been developing for the past 2,000 years but are now being lost at various rates. Sea level rise (SLR) poses a major threat to natural and historical resources present in the low-lying coastal areas. We identified 375 archeological sites surrounded by coastal wetlands and 2025 located in adjacent uplands. Applying probabilistic SLR projections (5, 50 an 95% levels) for 21st and 22nd centuries based on IPCC RCP 8.5 scenario we predict that up to 19.5 % of archeological sites (330 in Delaware and 139 in New Jersey) will be lost due to SLR by 2100.

Using geoarchaeological approach we conducted paleo-landscape reconstructions at Sheppard’s Island, DE, Island Field, DE and East Point, NJ archeological sites in order to reveal connections between human settlement and coastal environments. Using stratigraphic data, ArcGIS modeling, and SLR history, we reconstructed the Holocene coastal landscape at selected sites and developed predictions for future changes.

Our multi-disciplinary approach will help to prioritize protection of Delaware Bay heritage resources and promote the development of stakeholder partnerships for future resources conservation and/or management.