Modern port expansions in Rotterdam have unearthed ancient secrets of Doggerland, a submerged land once home to Neanderthals and Mesolithic hunters.
Ancient land resurfaces in modern port
Where container ships now move between the terminals of Rotterdam, Neanderthals and early humans once roamed. The construction of Maasvlakte 2, an extension of the port reclaimed from the North Sea, unintentionally uncovered remnants of a lost land known as Doggerland, which was submerged thousands of years ago.Doggerland’s ecological past revealed
A study published in PNAS by researchers including Robin Allaby from the University of Warwick reconstructed the ecological history of Doggerland. By analyzing ancient DNA in sediment samples, they found that the area was a wooded plain with oak, elm, and hazel trees, not a barren tundra, and it supported human life for over 16,000 years.Construction uncovered prehistoric artifacts
The expansion of Rotterdam's port, which took place between 2008 and 2013, involved dredging sand from the Eurogeul channel. This process unearthed more than 800 Paleolithic artifacts and nearly 2,000 Mesolithic points, including the skull of Krijn, the first identified Neanderthal in the Netherlands, discovered in 2001.Artificial beaches as open-air museums
The artificial beaches created during the Maasvlakte 2 project have become unintentional archaeological sites. Sediments from the Upper Pleistocene, containing remains of mammals, bird bones, and mollusks, were analyzed in a 2015 study. These findings offer a glimpse into the ecosystem that once thrived on Doggerland.Amateurs and experts uncover history
Dredgers mix sand with prehistoric artifacts, which are then deposited on artificial beaches. Enthusiasts and amateur collectors often find these items, such as barbed points and stone tools, and report them to specialists like Luc Amkreutz for authentication and study.Fossilized clues of a bygone era
Among the discoveries is a fragment of a fallow deer mandible with a flint splinter embedded in it, evidence of a Mesolithic hunter's strike. The most notable find, however, is the Neanderthal skull of Krijn. An exhibition titled Doggerland at the FutureLand visitor center now showcases a reconstructed face of this ancient individual, highlighting the surprising link between a modern port project and a world lost to the sea.
