The massive tsunami that swept through northern Europe more than 8,000 years ago may have been responsible for the tragic extinction of northern Britain during the Mesolithic, according to recent research.
New research published in the Journal of Quaternary Science provides insight into this age-old natural disaster.
During the Mesolithic period, also known as the Middle Stone Age, the population of northern Britain was around 1,000. Most of them lived in small settlements on the coast, possibly exposed to gigantic tidal waves.
Archaeological findings indicate a sudden decline in human settlements in the region approximately 8,200 years ago. It used to be linked to climate change, but new research points to a mysterious tsunami, which was named Storegga.
The Storegga tsunami was caused by an underwater landslide off the coast of Norway, creating waves more than 20 meters high. They hit the Shetland Islands and the north of England. Waves reached 3-6 meters in the north of England.
Using computer models, scientists reconstructed the event in the Northumberland coastal town of Howick. Although sediment cores dating back to the time of the tsunami have been discovered, researchers disagree. Modeling showed that a tsunami could only flood the site at high tide.
If the assumptions are correct, the Storegg tsunami could have caused a catastrophic decline in the population of Northern Britain.
The researchers suggest that “at Howick, mortality estimates varied, but were as high as 100 percent within the resource-rich intertidal zone.” The wave not only claimed lives but also destroyed food supplies, accelerating population decline across northwestern Europe.
