Bouldnor Cliff

Bouldnor Cliff is a submerged prehistoric settlement site in the Solent [1]. The site dates from the Mesolithic era and is in approximately 11 metres of water just offshore of the village of Bouldnor on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom [1]. Several years of fieldwork have revealed that Bouldnor was a settlement site about 8,000 years ago, at a time when lower sea levels meant that the Solent was just a river valley [1]. As sea levels rose, the Solent eventually flooded and the settlement area was swamped [1]. The rising waters deposited silt and mud onto the original land surface, covering and preserving it [1]. Archaeologists have discovered large quantities of burnt flints, mounds of timbers and pits dug into the ground [1]. Wood from this era does not normally preserve well in land environments, so the quantity of wood found at Bouldnor makes the site of international importance [1].