Coastal Archeology and Planning for the Future

Many people think the past is behind us. Archeologists know it's just below the surface!

From Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Jamaica Bay and Staten Island in New York, Gateway National Recreation Area's 27,000 acres are rich with stories of the area's past. This land has played a significant role in United States history due in part to its strategic position along New York Harbor, which put it at the forefront of New York and New Jersey's early settlement. With centuries of military presence dating as far back as the American revolution; an abundant maritime history, which includes the United States' oldest continuously working lighthouse; deep roots in the industrial growth of the region; and Native American habitations predating all of that by thousands of years, Gateway contains a wealth of historical knowledge. In fact, that richness is apparent in the hundreds of recorded archeological sites within the park.

Archeology is the scientific study of past human cultures, technologies, and behaviors. Archeologists study artifacts, the precontact and historic material items that past people made, along with written records, oral histories, and the landscapes they inhabited. Using the remains of what they left behind, Archeologists are able to learn a great deal about the peoples of the area's past, "[figuring] out chronologies of the past, [reconstructing] ways of life that no longer exist, and [understanding] changes in human culture over time".  ^[8]  

The coastal position of Gateway provides many benefits that have led to the park's dense coverage in such archeological resources, but it also poses a challenge to their preservation. As a coastal park, these irreplaceable archeological resources are increasingly threatened by climate change stressors such as increased erosion, stronger storm surge, and rising sea levels that expose and damage artifacts that were once safely buried. To protect these resources from further disturbance, the park’s cultural resources team monitors impacts and gathers data from the sites to determine appropriate mitigation efforts. Understanding and responding to climate change and sea level rise threats is crucial to preserving this important heritage.

"Climate change refers to a significant alteration of the average climate, or its variability, persisting for several decades."  ^[2]   Earth's climate has gradually changed throughout history as a result of natural processes, but recently (within the last few hundred years) human emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have caused an unprecedented rate of heating. GHGs work by trapping solar radiation in the atmosphere rather than letting it escape into space. This maintains the warm, relatively consistent temperature that supports life on Earth. However, human emissions have caused an unnaturally high concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere, leading to a dangerously rapid rate of warming. The warming, as we are currently experiencing it, has far-reaching impacts, including on natural and cultural resources: increase in heat waves (or dangerous heat index days), increase in heavy precipitation events, increase in pests (due to decrease in days below freezing) and invasive species, and so much more.

Additionally, global sea levels have begun rising at an accelerating rate, primarily in response to climate change. This is due to thermal expansion, the expansion of water molecules in the ocean as a result of increased temperature, and due to increased freshwater inflow from land-based ice melt. With higher sea levels and warmer ocean temperatures, we can expect things like increased erosion and more frequent, intense storms. Understanding climate change processes is important in the work that we do in the National Park Service because our natural and cultural resources, park infrastructure, and visitor sites are increasingly vulnerable to factors resulting from long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns.

Climate change and sea level rise modeling are leading tools for understanding and predicting impacts, but there is a degree of uncertainty. We understand the physics behind some of these processes quite well, such as the amount of rise we can expect from thermal expansion, but some things carry a lot more unknown, like what we will do.  ^[9]   The rate at which we, as humans, reduce our GHG emissions has a major impact on the amount of warming we will experience. As such, we play a critical role mitigating climate change.

Because of ambiguous, deep uncertainty, it can be difficult to quantify the accuracy of future projections. Therefore, it is common to provide a number of different scenarios- for instance, in the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report, projections for Sandy Hook, New Jersey estimated between 2.69 and 6.86 feet of sea level rise by 2100 in the low-intermediate and high projections, respectively.  ^[5]   Despite this vast range, studies such as this are incredibly useful for parks to anticipate potential future scenarios and plan for impacts to park resources. In order to cover all bases and account for uncertainty, the National Park Service practices 'scenario-based' planning. This is an approach in which, rather than going off of one possibly inaccurate projection, teams consider a set of potential scenarios.  ^[12]   By considering more possibilities, we are more capable to prepare for the uncertain future.

One of the most precious values of the national parks is their ability to teach us about ourselves and how we relate to the natural world. This important role may prove invaluable in the near future as we strive to understand and adapt to a changing climate.

Cultural resources are a vital record of the human experience. By providing essential insight into how past societies have dealt with change, they are important sources of inspiration that can serve and inform on current ideas about broad social adaptation. The National Park Service, as the lead federal agency for the protection and management of cultural resources, plays a critical role in not only curtailing the impacts of warming on these resources but also in understanding what they can teach us about past climate change adaptation.  ^[13]  

Climate change poses an especially acute problem for managing cultural resources because they are unique. Once lost, they are lost forever.

In an effort to realize the vision outlined in the NPS Cultural Resources Climate Change (CRCC) Strategy,  ^[13]   the cultural resources team at Gateway National Recreation Area works fervently to ensure the protection and preservation of our non-renewable archeological resources. Our team continually assesses the effects of climate change on archeological sites throughout the park because everything relies on a comprehensive, reliable history of site conditions. They photograph and document notable changes to the sites from erosion, storm surge, and sea level rise, adding to a long record of sites' conditions we can use to evaluate the scope of climate change impacts to the park and the vulnerability of our resources.

Over the years, impacts from climate change stressors have resulted in the loss of archeological resources at several sites, however, the information gathered from our cultural resources team allows us to be more effective and proactive in our preservation of these vulnerable resources. With an established history of site conditions, we are able to better evaluate each site's long-term stability and potential threats. Then, in close coordination with the  New York  and  New Jersey  State Historic Preservation Offices and park Tribal partners, we use this information to develop treatment plans to further document and preserve threatened archeological sites that, with time, dynamic environments, and sea level rise, would otherwise continue to be impacted and eventually disappear.

As a  Climate Friendly Park , we aim to mitigate climate change by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental footprint, but we also recognize the need to adapt. Whether it be with efforts to improve sites' integrity, such as by stabilizing the coast, or it is a case in which the best option is to document the site and let it go, the stewards of Gateway's cultural resources are constantly adapting to the changing climate in policy, planning, stewardship, and decision-making to ensure the stories that shape human heritage are not lost.

Everyone can make a difference in our response to climate change and help protect archeological sites. Think about what resources you have or what you enjoy doing. Is there a connection between those things and climate action and resource protection?

Here are some ways you can make a difference in your life and your community:

• Share your thoughts about climate change with people around you. Tell them why you care! Your voice has an impact, especially in your community.
•  Reduce your carbon footprint —and then tell your family & friends what you did and encourage them to try it too.
• Be an active citizen and share your opinions about climate change with your government representatives.
• Be a steward of Gateway National Recreation Area! Take care of it and keep it clean. The more we care for the environment, the more resilient it will be against extreme conditions from climate change.
• Consider  volunteering at Gateway  or  at a park near you . Volunteers support us in our mission to preserve and protect these wonderful places.
• If you see an artifact while you're out in a park, do not collect it or post about it on social media. Please leave it where you find it. Remember to leave only footprints.