They were thought to be lost at sea for thousands of years, but several Roman and medieval settlements have been discovered along the Humber Estuary.
Archaeologists have found several artefacts dating back between 3,000-8,000 years, including pottery, animal bones and charred organic matter.
While the areas are recorded in historical data, the sites were previously thought to have been lost to coastal erosion and rising sea levels.
Ancient Roman and medieval settlements thought to be 'lost to the sea' for thousands of years are uncovered in East Yorkshire
Archaeologists discovered settlements in East Yorkshire, on the Humber Estuary
Pottery, animal bones and charred organic matter were excavated from the sites
Findings show people moved from higher to lower land settlements with the tide
By Ella Wills For Mailonline
8 September 2017
They were thought to be lost at sea for thousands of years, but several Roman and medieval settlements have been discovered along the Humber Estuary.
Archaeologists have found several artefacts dating back between 3,000-8,000 years, including pottery, animal bones and charred organic matter.
While the areas are recorded in historical data, the sites were previously thought to have been lost to coastal erosion and rising sea levels.
They were thought to be lost at sea for thousands of years, but several Roman and medieval settlements have been discovered along the Humber estuary
The land has been under investigation by the Environment Agency with York Archaeological Trust and Historic England.
Archaeological digs revealed traces of settlements that showed the land was more densely populated than records suggest.
Evidence was found of Roman settlement activity in the higher areas of the site, and medieval settlement activity in the lowlands closer to the shore.
Large quantities of pottery, in addition to lost remains of buildings and structures, were found at Pensthorpe, a site located near Welwick village, in East Yorkshire.
Pensthorpe dates from the 14th century, and was thought to have been destroyed by flooding.
A Benedictine priory, or medieval monastery, was also discovered at a site to the south of Skeffling.
'They are sites that we know of from the historical records but we've never before found traces as to why they were founded,' said Stephen Kemp, senior archaeologist at the Environment Agency, according to IBTimes UK.
'We've known they were in this area, but they were lost.'
Mr Kemp continued: 'There's an extensive array of prehistoric Iron Age and Roman settlement remains – small villages, pocket farms and the field systems around that.
Archaeological digs revealed traces of settlements that showed the land was more densely populated than records suggest
'We can see through those the signs of a heavily occupied landscape that we'd previously suspected but not seen.'
A Roman settlement uncovered in the dig showed the most signs of development, including field systems.
The settlement was found on higher ground because Romans had not developed the technology to drain away water in order to live on the lower wetlands.
But this technique was developed during the medieval period.
Large quantities of pottery (pictured) were found at Pensthorpe, a medieval settlement dating from the 14th century, that was previously thought to have been destroyed by flooding
A Roman settlement uncovered in the dig showed the most signs of development, including field systems. The settlement was found on higher ground because Romans had not developed the technology to drain away water, in order to live on the lower wetlands
Archaeologists found that communities settled closer to the shore, occupying the lower ground, at this time.
Later human settlements in the Humber region are inaccessible, as they were built further onto the wetlands and are now underwater.
Archaeologists learnt that people in the area moved to higher ground when forced to by rising sea levels.
Many ancient settlements along the Humber estuary (pictured) are now submerged due to rising sea levels
The dig took place along the Humber estuary in East Yorkshire. The study found evidence of remains of lost building and structures at Pensthorpe, near to Welwick Village, and a Benedictine Priory south of the village of Skeffling
But they returned to the low-lying coastal areas to exploit wetland resources.
Mr Kemp added: 'Our initial assessment begins to tell the stories of communities by the Humber that learnt to adapt to environmental changes, like rising sea levels.
'When many of these ancient communities lived here the coast was much further away and the surrounding land was significantly less populated, enabling people and the ecology to thrive.
'The stories of the, now lost, villages provide interesting insight into environmental changes.'
Archaeologists have found several artefacts dating back between 3,000-8,000 years, including pottery, animal bones and charred organic matter.
While the areas are recorded in historical data, the sites were previously thought to have been lost to coastal erosion and rising sea levels.
Ancient Roman and medieval settlements thought to be 'lost to the sea' for thousands of years are uncovered in East Yorkshire
Archaeologists discovered settlements in East Yorkshire, on the Humber Estuary
Pottery, animal bones and charred organic matter were excavated from the sites
Findings show people moved from higher to lower land settlements with the tide
By Ella Wills For Mailonline
8 September 2017
They were thought to be lost at sea for thousands of years, but several Roman and medieval settlements have been discovered along the Humber Estuary.
Archaeologists have found several artefacts dating back between 3,000-8,000 years, including pottery, animal bones and charred organic matter.
While the areas are recorded in historical data, the sites were previously thought to have been lost to coastal erosion and rising sea levels.
They were thought to be lost at sea for thousands of years, but several Roman and medieval settlements have been discovered along the Humber estuary
The land has been under investigation by the Environment Agency with York Archaeological Trust and Historic England.
Archaeological digs revealed traces of settlements that showed the land was more densely populated than records suggest.
Evidence was found of Roman settlement activity in the higher areas of the site, and medieval settlement activity in the lowlands closer to the shore.
Large quantities of pottery, in addition to lost remains of buildings and structures, were found at Pensthorpe, a site located near Welwick village, in East Yorkshire.
Pensthorpe dates from the 14th century, and was thought to have been destroyed by flooding.
A Benedictine priory, or medieval monastery, was also discovered at a site to the south of Skeffling.
'They are sites that we know of from the historical records but we've never before found traces as to why they were founded,' said Stephen Kemp, senior archaeologist at the Environment Agency, according to IBTimes UK.
'We've known they were in this area, but they were lost.'
Mr Kemp continued: 'There's an extensive array of prehistoric Iron Age and Roman settlement remains – small villages, pocket farms and the field systems around that.
Archaeological digs revealed traces of settlements that showed the land was more densely populated than records suggest
'We can see through those the signs of a heavily occupied landscape that we'd previously suspected but not seen.'
A Roman settlement uncovered in the dig showed the most signs of development, including field systems.
The settlement was found on higher ground because Romans had not developed the technology to drain away water in order to live on the lower wetlands.
But this technique was developed during the medieval period.
Large quantities of pottery (pictured) were found at Pensthorpe, a medieval settlement dating from the 14th century, that was previously thought to have been destroyed by flooding
A Roman settlement uncovered in the dig showed the most signs of development, including field systems. The settlement was found on higher ground because Romans had not developed the technology to drain away water, in order to live on the lower wetlands
Archaeologists found that communities settled closer to the shore, occupying the lower ground, at this time.
Later human settlements in the Humber region are inaccessible, as they were built further onto the wetlands and are now underwater.
Archaeologists learnt that people in the area moved to higher ground when forced to by rising sea levels.
Many ancient settlements along the Humber estuary (pictured) are now submerged due to rising sea levels
The dig took place along the Humber estuary in East Yorkshire. The study found evidence of remains of lost building and structures at Pensthorpe, near to Welwick Village, and a Benedictine Priory south of the village of Skeffling
But they returned to the low-lying coastal areas to exploit wetland resources.
Mr Kemp added: 'Our initial assessment begins to tell the stories of communities by the Humber that learnt to adapt to environmental changes, like rising sea levels.
'When many of these ancient communities lived here the coast was much further away and the surrounding land was significantly less populated, enabling people and the ecology to thrive.
'The stories of the, now lost, villages provide interesting insight into environmental changes.'
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