A Lost Landmass Nearly the Size of North America Is Hiding Under the Sea-and It Could Rewrite Human History

Key Points:

• Rising sea levels and coastal erosion are rapidly submerging historically significant sites like the Lost Colony of Roanoke, threatening the preservation of artifacts and early human history.
• Geographer Jerome E. Dobson introduced the concept of "Aquaterra," a vast submerged landmass that once hosted early human civilizations, emphasizing that much of our prehistoric history lies underwater due to ice age sea level changes.
• Recent archaeological discoveries in submerged sites across North America, including the Gulf of Mexico and Belize, reveal evidence of ancient human settlements and artifacts now underwater, underscoring the need to expand research beyond visible land.
• Understanding early human progress requires acknowledging the dynamic nature of shorelines over millennia, as many cultural innovations likely occurred in areas now submerged beneath rising seas.
• To preserve and uncover lost chapters of human history, archaeology must adapt to investigate submerged landscapes before they are irretrievably lost to ongoing sea level rise.