Doggerland, Europe's Atlantis, Found by Researchers
Researchers have found a stretch of land believed to have connected Scotland and Denmark. Doggerland, known as "Europe's Atlantis," could offer new insight into ancient life and provide scientists with a plethora of information about the human species and other life forms.
"The name was coined for Dogger Bank, but it applies to any of several periods when the North Sea was land," Dr. Richard Bates told the Daily Mail. "Around 20,000 years ago there was a 'maximum,' although parts of this area would have been covered with ice. When the ice melted, more land was revealed but the sea level also rose."
The land area known as Doggerland was then buried under the ocean and kept hidden from researchers. That did not keep them from searching for the land that would prove a connection between Scotland and Denmark.
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Unfortunately, Bates told CBS, "There is actually very little evidence left because much of it has eroded underwater. It's like trying to find just part of a needle within a haystack. What we have found, though, is a remarkable amount of evidence and we are now able to pinpoint the best places to find preserved signs of life."
"Through a lot of new data from oil and gas companies, we're able to give form to the landscape and make sense of the mammoths found out there. We're able to understand the types of people who were there," Bates explained.
That data has led to a model of what scientists believe the area looked like, and what creatures may have inhabited the land. Right now they are still working on research into human behavior, burial sites, and a mammoth gravesite.
Artifacts from the discovery are currently on display at The Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition in London until July 8.
