Out of Site but Not Out of Mind: Submerged Prehistoric Landscapes on the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf

Abstract

Archaeological sites are more important than simply the artifacts they contain. Locations of human occupation and activity form a pattern that can provide information about perceptions of the landscape, decisions about resources, or preferences. Explaining this “perceived” environment is one of archaeology’s goals in explaining past human behavior. In order to address these goals, archaeologists must first identify elements of the “real” landscape, including the geographical environment, its resources, and evidence of human modification. Only after these real elements have been identified can the perceived environment be explored. On the outer continental shelf of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, formerly subaerial geographical environments are now submerged offshore of Texas and Louisiana. These areas could have been occupied by Paleoindian or Early Archaic populations prior to final inundation related to sea-level rise following the last glacial maximum. Due to sediment accretion related to transgression, as well as active sedimentation in the marine environment, the formerly subaerial surface is now buried below the seafloor. This dissertation discusses the use of geophysical data in identifying environments, resources, and evidence of environmental modification at areas that are currently buried below the seafloor on the outer continental shelf. The use of methods and data grounded in physical geography can ultimately add to patterns of past human behavior.