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recent work, but the complexity of the problem of managing that resource is also being
realised. The problem arises not only from the scale and variety of the archaeological
remains, but also from two other sources: the very varied natural and human threats to
the resource, and the complex web of organisations with authority over, or interests in,
the coastal zone. Human threats include the redevelopment of historic towns and old
dockland areas, and the increased importance of the coast for the leisure and tourism
industries, resulting in pressure for the increased provision of facilities such as marinas.
The larger size of ferries has also caused an increase in the damage caused by their
wash to fragile deposits in the intertidal zone. The most significant natural threat is the
predicted rise in sea level over the next century especially in the south and east of
England. Its impact on archaeology is not easy to predict, and though it is likely to be
highly localised, it will be at a scale much larger than that of most archaeological sites.
Thus protecting one site may simply result in transposing the threat to a point further
along the coast. The management of the archaeological remains will have to be
considered in a much longer time scale and a much wider geographical scale than is
common in the case of dry land sites, and this will pose a serious challenge for
archaeologists.
Questions 1-3 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
1.What has caused public interest in coastal archaeology in recent years?
A Golds and jewelleries in the ships that have submerged
B The rising awareness of climate change
C Forests under the sea
D Technological advance in the field of sea research
