Doggerland
Submerged land bridge between Great Britain and continental Europe.
Doggerland was a large area of land in Northern Europe, now submerged beneath the southern North Sea. During the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, it was repeatedly exposed due to lower sea levels during glacial periods. The region is named after the Dogger Bank, which itself was named after 17th-century Dutch fishing boats called doggers. Doggerland is significant as a former land bridge connecting Great Britain to continental Europe, and as a rich archaeological landscape preserving evidence of Mesolithic human habitation and prehistoric fauna.
- Location
- Southern North Sea, between Great Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark
- Period
- Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene (exposed until c. 7,000 years ago)
- Named after
- Dogger Bank (from 17th-century Dutch fishing boats called doggers)
- Key feature
- Submerged landscape with archaeological remains from Mesolithic period
Lore & Background
Doggerland was a large area of land in Northern Europe, now submerged beneath the southern North Sea. This region was repeatedly exposed at various times during the Pleistocene epoch due to the lowering of sea levels during glacial periods. However, the term 'Doggerland' is typically used for this region during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. During the early Holocene following the glacial retreat at the end of the Last Glacial Period, the exposed land area of Doggerland stretched across the region between what is now the east coast of Great Britain, northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, north-western Germany, and the Danish peninsula of Jutland. The impact of the tsunami generated by the Storegga underwater landslide c. 8,200 years ago on Doggerland is controversial. The flooded land is known as the Dogger Littoral.
Reader's Guide
Doggerland's significance lies in its role as a former land bridge and a rich archaeological archive of the Mesolithic period. The area was once Europe's most prosperous hunting, fowling, and fishing ground. The disappearance of Doggerland due to rising sea levels and possibly the Storegga tsunami marks a key moment in the separation of Britain from the continent. The controversy over the Storegga tsunami's impact underscores the complexity of reconstructing prehistoric events.
Did You Know?
- Doggerland was named after the Dogger Bank, which was named after 17th-century Dutch fishing boats called doggers.
- The Storegga underwater landslide c. 8,200 years ago may have generated a tsunami that affected Doggerland, but its impact is controversial.
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