Hydroacoustic research within BalticRIM
Bottom scanning in the Swarzewo and Rzucewo region (Poland)
By the end of December 2019, the company Nurkowanie Hydrografia Nawigacja Polska carried out sonar bottom scanning in the Swarzewo and Rzucewo region for the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk (project partner of BalticRIM). The task - due to the timing and weather conditions, numerous fishing nets and shallow waters - was very difficult. This time, however, the research was a great success. The sonar scan (picture below) shows an example of localized remains of subfossil forests from the early Holocene period. They are a unique remnant of the former land that was flooded by the Baltic Sea after the ice surface disappeared. Samples were collected from some of the trunks and peat, which are estimated at a period of around 9000-8500 BC in the Swarzewo region and around 5000 BC in the vicinity of Rzucewo. In the latter case, the dating refers to the oldest settlement phase of the archaeological site in Rzucewo.
The results of the study will allow to determine the extent of paleo-brown remains of former land areas visible on the seabed, which may still contain remains of settlements related to the Stone Age, similar to those located on the coast. Identifying these zones will allow their inclusion in the spatial plan of the Puck Bay, which should lead to more effective protection of underwater heritage.
Status 08.04.2020
Pictures copyright: Krzysztof Kurzyk, Iwona Pomian (National Maritime Museum in Gdansk)
