Geomorphologic, stratigraphic, faunistic, palynological and carbon isotope analyses were carried out in the area of the Tiber river mouth. The results depict a complex palaeoenvironmental evolution in the area of the Roman town of Ostia, ascertain the changes of the Tiber river delta over the last 6000 years and support a re-interpretation of some archaeologic issues. The wave-dominated Tiber delta evolved through three distinct phases. In the first step (5000-2700 yr BP) a delta cusp was built at the river mouth, which was located north of the present outlet. Subsequently (2700-1900 BP), an abrupt southward migration of the river mouth determined the abandonment of the previous cusp and the progradation of a new one. The third step, which is still in progress, is marked by the appearance of a complex cusp made up of two distributary channels. The transition from the first to the second evolution phase occurred in the seventh century BC and was contemporary to the foundation of Ostia, as suggested by historical accounts. However, the oldest archaeological evidence of the town of Ostia dates to the fourth century bc, when human activity is clearly recorded also by pollen data. We suggest that the first human settlement (seventh century bc) consisted of ephemeral military posts, with the aim of controlling the strategic river mouth and establishing the Ostia saltworks. Only after the fourth century bc the coastal environment was stable enough for the foundation and development of the town of Ostia

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Geomorphologic, stratigraphic, faunistic, palynological and 14C analyses were carried out in the area of the mouth of the Garigliano River characterized by two strand plains that are referred to the Eutyrrhenian and the Holocene, rimming two depressed zones separated by the Garigliano River channel.\ud This study depicts the palaeoenvironmental evolution over the last 8200 years and the landscape context at the time of Minturnae Roman colony. Between 8200 and 7500 yr BP, a wet zone occurred in the northern zone, whereas in the southern part, a lagoon developed. During the final transgression stage and the beginning of the sea level still stand (7500–5500 yr BP), a freshwater marsh formed in the northern zone, and the width of the southern lagoon decreased. Between 5500 and 3000 yr BP, the coastal barrier changed into a delta cusp, a freshwater marsh also appeared in the southern part and the river wandered between the twin marshes. Because of local uplift, previously unknown in this area, part of the floor of the southern marsh emerged, and\ud after 4000 yr BP, both marshes became coastal ponds with prevailing clastic sedimentation. A progressive increment in anthropic forcing on the land took place after 3000 yr BP. The Marica sanctuary was built (7th century BC), and the Roman colony of Minturnae was developed beginning the 3rd century BC. The shallow depth of the ponds prevented their use as harbours, and saltwork plants can be ruled out based on the faunal and palynological data. The ongoing infilling of both ponds was never completed, and their reclamation is still in progress

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The late Quaternary evolution of the Sele River\ud coastal plain (Salerno Gulf, southern Italy) was investigated\ud through integrated stratigraphical, chronological and\ud palaeoecological analyses. The main environmental changes\ud were ascribed to glacio-eustatic variations leading to\ud rapid ingressions alternating with coastal progradations.\ud The marked marine ingression of MIS 5.5 is testified by\ud palaeoridges now cropping out 4 km inland at 11/13 m\ud a.s.l. (Gromola palaeoridge). The eustatic minimum of MIS\ud 2 is testified by lower shoreface deposits in the offshore\ud core record and in the seismic profiles at 120/130 m below\ud sea level. This prolonged sea-level fall was interrupted by\ud at least three rapid sea-level rises, probably related to MIS\ud 5.3, 5.1 and 3. The evidence of the first two sea level rises\ud are represented by shoreface deposits in the inland S1 core\ud (30 m thick, 3 m a.s.l., 1.5 km inland). The highstand of\ud MIS 3 was identified by seismic profiles as onlapping\ud marine deposits. The shore deposits at 100 m b.s.l were\ud tentatively attributed to the lowstand of MIS 4. After the\ud lowstand of MIS 2, the Sele Plain was newly flooded due to\ud the rapid Post Glacial sea-level rise. This ingression caused\ud the inland migration of a barrier-lagoon system and stopped\ud at approximately 5.5 ky BP. From that moment the\ud shoreline started prograding up to the present position\ud probably due to the decrease in the sea-level rise rates and to the volcaniclastic supplies from the Neapolitan volcanoes,\ud especially from the AD 79 Vesuvius eruption, also\ud recorded in the subbottom chirp profiles