Maritime Archaeological Investigation of Spurn (MARIS)

Project summary

This project will investigate the medieval archaeology of Spurn, a dynamic coastal landscape at the mouth of the Humber Estuary, to improve understanding of settlements that were lost to coastal erosion. Combining archival research with advanced marine geophysical survey, aerial investigation and intertidal fieldwork, the project will reassess historical evidence for the medieval communities of Ravenser and Ravenser Odd, identify surviving archaeological remains, and evaluate how environmental change has shaped this nationally significant landscape. Community participation will play a central role in recording and interpreting archaeological evidence exposed along the shoreline.

The findings will provide the first comprehensive archaeological assessment of medieval Spurn, creating new evidence to inform research, heritage management and climate adaptation. By identifying vulnerable coastal and submerged heritage assets, the project will support future conservation planning while increasing public understanding of the long history of human settlement at Spurn through community engagement, public interpretation and collaboration with the Coastal and Inland Waters Heritage Science Facility.