Coastal Change and Archaeological Settings in Elis

Abstract

In geological usage, Holocene is the time of the most recent glacial global warming and resultant sea-level rise, roughly the past 10,000 years.2. Hope-Simpson (1981, p. 153) noted that western Elis "has never been properly explored" for archaeological sites.3. Stanley and Warne 1997, p. 1.

Driving mechanisms of Holocene lagoon development and barrier accretion in Northern Elis, Peloponnese, inferred from the sedimentary record of the Kotychi Lagoon

“…Curtius, 1851) has been detected a few kilometers south of the Kotychi Lagoon ( Fig. 1) (Philippson, 1959;Raphael, 1978;Kraft et al, 2005;Fountoulis et al, 2011). An anthropogenic or natural (tectonic) diversion of the Peneus River is still subject of discussion but is believed to have occurred in the 17th century AD (Kraft et al, 2005;Kontopoulos & Koutsios, 2010;Fountoulis et al, 2011).…”

“…Out of these lagoons, the Kotychi Lagoon, serves as a geoarchive. Previous studies indicate a series of lagoons fringing the Elean coast for at least 7000 years (Kraft et al, 2005;Kontopoulos & Koutsios, 2010). However, there is no evidence about the onset of barrier-lagoon accretion in Elis.…”

“…If the rate of sediments supplied by rivers exceeds the combined ability of waves and tides to carry away the sediment, a delta forms at the mouth of the river. Delivered to the delta front, sediments may be re-deposited to block the river mouth and shape the coast by forming barriers, lagoons or marshes (McManus, 2002;Kraft et al, 2005;Dinis et al, 2006). In this context, sea level has an exceptional role as it serves as the ultimate base level (Plater & Kirby, 2011).…”

“…Research at the Elian coast extends back to Raphael (1973Raphael ( , 1978 who combined geomorphological and archaeological evidence to identify cycles of coastal pro-and retrogradation from the late Holocene until Turkish Times. Likewise, a synthesis of geomorphology, literary sources and drill cores allowed Kraft et al (2005) to reconstruct mid-Holocene evolution of the Elean coastline. The authors identified a sequence of ancient lagoons and barrier islands resulting from the interplay of varying sediment fluxes and sea level rise.…”

Ancient Greek Geographer Pausanias as a Qualitative Karst Hydrogeologist

“…A comprehensive summary of the geology of Greece largely overlooks ancient literary references (Higgins and Higgins 1996). Researchers have examined paleogeomorphological conditions in parts of Greece, but give little attention to ancient texts describing karst (Zangger 1991; Kraft et al 2003, 2005).…”