WORLD

Doggerland, a lost world off the British coast that was flooded thousands of years ago, is slowly revealing its secrets. (Telegraph)

Use our resources to explore the “British Atlantis” of Doggerland, and relate this content to Common Core and other standards with this handy blog post!

Discussion Ideas

• Why does the Telegraph call the ancient region of Doggerland a “British Atlantis”?
  • British: The marshy, low-lying region of Doggerland bordered what are today the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and, mostly, England—the largest country on the island of Great Britain and one of five countries that make up the modern British Isles. (The others are Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.)
  • Atlantis: Atlantis is a mythical “lost city,” an idealized society that vanished beneath the waves of a catastrophic tsunami thousands of years ago. The Greek philosopher Plato first wrote about Atlantis in about 360 BCE. (Here’s a great episode of a great series on what might have happened to the “real” Atlantis.)

• Where did the “British Atlantis” vanish to?
  • Doggerland was flooded and became what is now the North Sea. The North Sea’s shallow Dogger Bank was, for many years, an island—the third-largest of the British Isles. (Behind Great Britain and Ireland.)

• How are scientists studying the sunken region? Read through our terrific little article on Doggerland for some help.
  • They’re looking at maps! Energy companies drilling and surveying the oil-rich North Sea have provided bathymetric and seismic data. Here’s a great example of an interactive petroleum map of the North Sea.
  • They’re digging up dirt! Scientists are studying sediment samples from the floor of the North Sea. These samples hold DNA from microscopic creatures that once lived in Doggerland.
    • Read through this blog post to learn more about DNA and “calcerous ooze.” It actually looks like this new map of the seafloor is lacking datapoints (white dots) for Doggerland! Maybe Doggerland researchers can contribute to the sensational sediment map and our understanding of the region.
  • They’re going fishing! North Sea trawlers have long pulled up artifacts such as mammoth bones and Stone Age and Bronze Age tools in their massive nets.
  • They’re going to the beach! Features such as Seahenge are providing clues about life on the edges of ancient Doggerland.

• How did Doggerland flood? Did North Sea tides lap up over a long time, or was the land drowned all at once? Read through our little article for some help.
  • Both! Doggerland began flooding as the Ice Age, the last glacial period, ended. Ice sheets and ice caps melted, forcing the sea level to rise. Most Doggerlanders migrated to higher elevations in what are today England and the Netherlands.
  • Doggerland also experienced a violent tsunami that flooded its low-lying swampland beneath meters of water. The tsunami was caused by the rapid outflow of meltwater from Lake Agassiz, a North American glacial lake, and a massive landslide in Norway.
  • Read more about the demise of Doggerland in this great Nat Geo magazine article.

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

The Telegraph: British Atlantis: archaeologists begin exploring lost world of Doggerland

Nat Geo: Doggerland—The Europe That Was

Nat Geo: Mapping Monday: Maps are for Reading

Nat Geo: Searching for Doggerland