Climate scientists agree that climate change has accelerated since the Industrial Revolution due to anthromorphic causes. Archeology, however, shows that climate change has had lifechanging impacts on cultures and socieies for millenia. Climate stories told through archeology can help us anticipate the pressures we will face in the modern world and the decisions we may make.
But there is another side to archeology and climate change. Fire, drought, storms, and changing population centers all are affecting archeological sites and collections today. Rising sea levels threaten coastal sites. Drought and fire can rip through archeological areas. Increasing temperatures thaw land and ice, causing shorelines to slump and ice patches to melt. These changes expose archeological resources, which are fragile and irreplaceable.
Learn more:
Climate Change (U.S. National Park Service)
Videos on Archeology and Climate Change (U.S. National Park Service)
But there is another side to archeology and climate change. Fire, drought, storms, and changing population centers all are affecting archeological sites and collections today. Rising sea levels threaten coastal sites. Drought and fire can rip through archeological areas. Increasing temperatures thaw land and ice, causing shorelines to slump and ice patches to melt. These changes expose archeological resources, which are fragile and irreplaceable.
Learn more:
Climate Change (U.S. National Park Service)
Videos on Archeology and Climate Change (U.S. National Park Service)
Last updated: February 20, 2024