8,200 Years Ago a Single Wave Swallowed an ENTIRE Continent - And Created Britain | History for Sle

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:20:54 +0000

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What if an entire continent vanished beneath the waves in a single night… and that moment helped create Britain?

In this History for Sleep episode from Sleepy Time History, drift off as we explore Doggerland, the lost land that once connected Britain to Europe. Discover how a massive undersea landslide off Norway, the Storegga Slide, unleashed a tsunami so powerful it reshaped the map of Northern Europe 8,200 years ago.

We’ll journey through:
• Life in Mesolithic Doggerland before the flood
• How the Storegga tsunami formed and raced across the North Sea
• The drowning of Doggerland and the long separation of Britain
• How scientists use sand, peat, and seafloor clues to reconstruct this ancient disaster
• Echoes of great floods in myth, memory, and modern coastal risk

Designed to be calm, atmospheric, and immersive, this video blends relaxing narration with deep time history—perfect for sleep, study, or quiet late-night curiosity.

If you enjoy relaxing history, subscribe to Sleepy Time History and turn on notifications so you never miss a new night-time journey into the past.

Recommended:
https://youtu.be/GvJSVNo8WPo
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https://youtu.be/Ba-ydOT_qGs
https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PLz4qRohCjQX

Chapters:
00:00 Intro: the night the sea rewrote the map
03:32 Before the wave: when britain was still a peninsula
09:25 Doggerland up close: a lost homeland beneath the north sea
15:23 The sleeping giant: norway’s underwater slopes and the storegga slide
25:34 A wave born in darkness: how tsunamis travel and transform
36:29 Impact zone: the tsunami reaches scotland and the northern isles
48:09 The drowning of doggerland: when the north sea claimed the plains
1:00:35 Survivors and silence: mesolithic lives after the wave
1:12:29 Did one wave ‘create britain’? separation, straits, and the long goodbye
1:23:41 Clues in sand and peat: how scientists reconstruct an 8,200-year-old disaster
1:35:20 Echoes across time: flood myths, cultural memory, and responsible speculation
1:47:16 What the storegga tsunami teaches us now: coasts, risk, and changing seas
1:57:18 Conclusion: the sea’s slow work - and its sudden surprises

Sources:
- Weninger, B., Clare, L., Rohling, E.J., et al. “The Impact of Rapid Climate Change on Prehistoric Societies during the Holocene in the Eastern Mediterranean.” Quaternary International.
- Smith, D.E., Cullingford, R.A., Firth, C.R., and Dawson, A.G. “The Holocene Storegga Slide Tsunami in Scotland.” Quaternary Science Reviews.
- Dawson, A.G., and Stewart, I. “Tsunami Deposits in the Geological Record.” Sedimentary Geology.
- Gaffney, V., Fitch, S., and Smith, D. Europe’s Lost World: The Rediscovery of Doggerland. CBA Research Report (Council for British Archaeology).
- Walker, M.J.C. Quaternary Dating Methods. Wiley.

Note on Process & Accuracy:
Every story on this channel begins with a deep respect for history. We act as directors and editors, using AI tools to help research and draft the script while we shape the narrative and verify facts. The narration comes from a digital replica of a professional voice actor, and the images are individually crafted artistic impressions using AI. Even with these tools, creating a story of this depth still takes hours of work.

Please note that while the narrative is thoroughly based on historical research, its primary purpose is storytelling for entertainment and relaxation. As such, it is not intended to be used as a formal academic or scientific source. Thank you for your trust and support.