Geo-environmental changes and historical events in the area of the Greek archaeological site of Selinunte (Western Sicily, Italy)

Abstract

Neste estudo no sítio arqueológico grego de Selinônte foram realizados levantamentos geomorfológicos e geoarqueológicos detalhados com o intuito de reconstruir a evolução da paisagem que ocorreu antes e durante a antropização do sítio e para verificar as possíveis correlações entre mudanças geoambientais e eventos humanos que caracterizou quase quatro séculos da história da cidade. Utilizando uma abordagem multidisciplinar e diferentes técnicas de levantamento, este estudo testemunhou o papel desempenhado pelo clima, configuração geomorfológica e georrecursos no condicionamento do desenvolvimento da cidade e a estreita relação por vezes observada entre os acontecimentos históricos e os processos naturais. Isso incluiu a polêmica e nunca descoberta obra hidráulica de Empédocles, que em 444 a.C., conforme as fontes textuais, resolveu um problema de saúde pública ligado à presença de áreas pantanosas.

The River Valleys of the Greek Colony of Selinunte: Results of an Offshore Investigation

“…[2] two bays can be seen flanking the acropolis and coinciding with the present mouths of the rivers Modione and Cottone, which thus ran much further north in the past than they do today. Recent investigations carried out with a thermal imaging camera installed on a drone [1] revealed a very similar palaeogeographic configuration of the area as the ancient representations, suggesting that the mouths of the rivers were much wider and the actual river valleys were occupied by the sea.…”

“…In order to draw a palaeogeographic picture, albeit qualitative, of the study area and to attempt to correlate the information obtained on land with the offshore data presented in this paper, especially those derived from high-resolution seismic lines, we can use the results of a well (Figure 6) drilled in the Modione valley about a hundred meters from the hydrographic left of the river and about 400 m from the present shoreline [1].…”

“…In order to draw a palaeogeographic picture, albeit qualitative, of the study area and to attempt to correlate the information obtained on land with the offshore data presented in this paper, especially those derived from high-resolution seismic lines, we can use the results of a well (Figure 6) drilled in the Modione valley about a hundred meters from the hydrographic left of the river and about 400 m from the present shoreline [1]. Stratigraphic analysis has shown that at least 25 m of sediments of probable Holocene age have transitioned from a purely marine to a marshy environment to colluvial deposits, proving that the mouth of the Modione was originally an estuary of considerable depth.…”

“…Given the information from the high-resolution seismic profiles crossing the Modione riverbed just offshore, it can be inferred that the erosional contact visible in the stratigraphic well may represent the horizon sealing the river valley. This has been interpreted as the seafloor of 4500 years ago [1], although no direct dating is available to determine the age of this discontinuity. In addition, no stratigraphic information is available to correlate this erosional horizon to the east in the Cottone valley where an erosional surface is visible at about the same depth (see Figure 7).…”