Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network

Last updated

Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network, known by its abbreviation CITiZAN, is a community archaeology project working in areas of England's coastline documenting coastal and intertidal history before it is washed away by tidal forces. [1]

History

Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network was launched in 2015 [2] [3] and is a community archaeology project working the north, south east, and south west of England. The project's main host is the Museum of London Archaeology with project partners the Council for British Archaeology and the Nautical Archaeology Society. The project is sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund, The National Trust, The Crown Estate, and Historic England.

The project is currently led by Gustav Milne, [4] an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. The team, as of October 2018, consisted of nine with all additional support to archaeology projects being provided by volunteers. [5] [6]

In 2018 they won the Arts, Culture, and Heritage prize at the Charity Awards 2018 – the Civil Society Media's annual awards programme to recognise organisations for their commendable charitable work [4] and were granted further backing by the Heritage Lottery Fund beyond their initial three year funding cycle. [7]

In addition to archaeological digs arranged by CITiZAN, [8] the organisation arranges open days at historical locations to inform people of their work and methods in archaeology. [9]

In 2018 CITiZAN team members joined the Channel 4 program Britain at Low Tide for its second series.

In 2022, CITiZAN ran a project at Mersea Island to record 60 years of peoples memories and documenting past industries damage that had led to the island's erosion. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haida Gwaii</span> An archipelago in British Columbia, Canada

Haida Gwaii is an archipelago located between 55–125 km (34–78 mi) off the northern Pacific coast of Canada. The islands are separated from the mainland to the east by the shallow Hecate Strait. Queen Charlotte Sound lies to the south, with Vancouver Island beyond. To the north, the disputed Dixon Entrance separates Haida Gwaii from the Alexander Archipelago in the U.S. state of Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of London Archaeology</span>

MOLA is an archaeology and built heritage practice and independent charitable company registered with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), providing a wide range of professional archaeological services to clients in London and across the country. It is one of the largest archaeological service providers in the UK, and is the only one with IRO status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mersea Island</span> A tidal island in Essex, England

Mersea Island is an island in Essex, England, in the Blackwater and Colne estuaries to the south-east of Colchester. Its name comes from the Old English word meresig, meaning "island of the pool" and thus is tautological. The island is split into two main areas, West Mersea and East Mersea, and connected to the mainland by the Strood, a causeway that can flood at high tide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Littoral zone</span> Part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore

The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark to coastal areas that are permanently submerged — known as the foreshore — and the terms are often used interchangeably. However, the geographical meaning of littoral zone extends well beyond the intertidal zone to include all neritic waters within the bounds of continental shelves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margate</span> Town in East Kent, England

Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, 16 miles north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neritic zone</span> Relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf

The neritic zone is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately 200 meters (660 ft) in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminated environment for marine life, from plankton up to large fish and corals, while physical oceanography sees it as where the oceanic system interacts with the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severn Estuary</span> Estuary and Site of Special Scientific Interest in Great Britain

The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its high tidal range, approximately 50 feet (15 m), means that it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intertidal zone</span> Area of coast exposed only at low tide

The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide. This area can include several types of habitats with various species of life, such as seastars, sea urchins, and many species of coral with regional differences in biodiversity. Sometimes it is referred to as the littoral zone or seashore, although those can be defined as a wider region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nautical Archaeology Society</span> British organisation to further research in nautical archaeology for the public benefit

The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) is a charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland and is a company limited by guarantee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tide Mills, East Sussex</span> Derelict village in East Sussex, England

Tide Mills is a derelict village in East Sussex, England. It lies about two kilometres (1.2 miles) south-east of Newhaven and four kilometres (2.5 miles) north-west of Seaford and is near both Bishopstone and East Blatchington. The village was condemned as unfit for habitation in 1936 and abandoned in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine ecosystem</span> Ecosystem in saltwater environment

Marine ecosystems are the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems and exist in waters that have a high salt content. These systems contrast with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content. Marine waters cover more than 70% of the surface of the Earth and account for more than 97% of Earth's water supply and 90% of habitable space on Earth. Seawater has an average salinity of 35 parts per thousand of water. Actual salinity varies among different marine ecosystems. Marine ecosystems can be divided into many zones depending upon water depth and shoreline features. The oceanic zone is the vast open part of the ocean where animals such as whales, sharks, and tuna live. The benthic zone consists of substrates below water where many invertebrates live. The intertidal zone is the area between high and low tides. Other near-shore (neritic) zones can include mudflats, seagrass meadows, mangroves, rocky intertidal systems, salt marshes, coral reefs, lagoons. In the deep water, hydrothermal vents may occur where chemosynthetic sulfur bacteria form the base of the food web.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stroudwater Navigation</span> Canal in England

The Stroudwater Navigation is a canal in Gloucestershire, England which linked Stroud to the River Severn. It was authorised in 1776, although part had already been built, as the proprietors believed that an Act of Parliament obtained in 1730 gave them the necessary powers. Opened in 1779, it was a commercial success, its main cargo being coal. It was 8 miles (13 km) in length and had a rise of 102 ft 5 in (31.22 m) through 12 locks. Following the opening of the Thames and Severn Canal in 1789, it formed part of a through route from Bristol to London, although much of its trade vanished when the Kennet and Avon Canal provided a more direct route in 1810. Despite competition from the railways, the canal continued to pay dividends to shareholders until 1922, and was not finally abandoned until 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrack zone</span> Coastal area where organic material is deposited at high tide

The wrack zone or wrack line is a coastal feature where organic material and other debris is deposited at high tide. This zone acts as a natural input of marine resources into a terrestrial system, providing food and habitat for a variety of coastal organisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thames Discovery Programme</span>

The Thames Discovery Programme is a community archaeology project, focusing on the archaeology of the River Thames on the Tideway. The Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) was launched in October 2008 and until September 2011, the project was supported by the National Lottery and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project is designed to communicate an understanding and informed enjoyment of the historic Thames to the widest possible audience, and to train and support members of the public to monitor and record the archaeology of the foreshore during the lifetime of the project, and into the future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Hamilton (archaeologist)</span>

Sue Hamilton is a British archaeologist and Professor of Prehistory at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. A material culture specialist and landscape archaeologist. Between September 2014–August 2022 she was director of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, its first permanent female director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seymour Tower</span>

Seymour Tower is a coastal defence tower built on a rocky tidal island called L'Avarison, located 2 km east of the shoreline of Jersey, an area included in Jersey's South-East coast Ramsar site. Acquired by Jersey Heritage in 2006, it has since been used for self-catering accommodation.

Bird Islands Conservation Park is a 3.69-square-kilometre (1.42 sq mi) protected area in eastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It is located at Warburto Point on Yorke Peninsula, about 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the town of Wallaroo. In 1991, land additions were made to the park to include the intertidal zone of both islands. In 1999, a larger, mainland section was added to support mangroves, samphire and coastal fringe vegetation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeology of Qatar</span>

Archaeology of Qatar as a field study began in 1956. Three major expeditions were carried out in Qatar throughout the mid-20th century, with the first being launched by a Danish team who began work in the 1950s. This was followed by British and French expeditions in 1970s and 1980s, respectively. Approximately 200 archaeological sites were discovered during these expeditions, with the most extensive being the coastal areas of Al Da'asa, Ras Abrouq and Al Khor Island. Artifacts such as flint tools, Ubaid and Barbar pottery and encampments were found in situ.

Britain at Low Tide is an archaeology and social history television programme that debuted on Channel 4 in 2016, with further series in 2018 and 2019. It was originally co-hosted by former Time Team and Victorian Farm contributor, archaeologist and historian Dr. Alex Langlands and Natural History Museum palaeobiologist Dr. Tori Herridge.

Gustav Milne is a British Archaeologist, writer and TV contributor who is the current project lead for Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network (CITiZAN) and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

References

  1. "Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network (CITiZAN) - Discover Thanet's Coast - Thanet Council". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. "CITiZAN triumphs - Current Archaeology (CA341)". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  3. "Shores are 'final frontier' for archaeology project - BBC News p.7 August 2015". Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 "New series of 'Britain at Low Tide' explores coastal and intertidal archaeology - ucl.ac.uk" . Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  5. "CITiZAN- Who we are". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  6. "Rescue archaeology for the Facebook generation: Volunteers fight to preserve disappearing coastal heritage online - Culture 24 p.10 August 2015". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  7. "Excavating the CA archive: River Thames - Current Archaeology (CA324)". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  8. "West Mersea mammoth tusk found on beach - BBC News p.30 March 2017". Archived from the original on 10 November 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  9. "Open day for public at historical Fort Cumberland - The News p.25 July 2018". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  10. Brown. P (26 March 2022). "What caused the damage to Essex's lovely Mersea Island". The Guardian.