Lagoonal settlements and relative sea level during Bronze Age in Northern Adriatic: Geoarchaeological evidence and paleogeographic constraints

Fontana, Alessandro; Vinci, G.; Tasca, Giovanni; Mozzi, Paolo; Vacchi, Matteo; Bivi, G.; Salvador, Sergio; Rossato, Sandro; Antonioli, Fabrizio; Asioli, Alessandra; Bresolin, Mario; Mario, Federica; Hajdas, Irka

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2016.12.038

Cited by 41 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In the Mediterranean, a large range of literature proposes a causal link between coastal evolution and the sub-millennial North Atlantic Oscillation for the last 7000 years (Zazo et al, 2008;Amorosi et al, 2017;Pascucci et al, 2018), because highstand systems tract has allowed for the recording of small-amplitude regressive and transgressive cycles (Fruergaard et al, 2015). Fewer data exist during the Early to Mid-Holocene (Amorosi et al, 2013a;Amorosi et al, 2017).…”

Section: Influence Of Climate On the Morphogenetic Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-ecological adaptation to Early-Holocene sea-level rise in the western Mediterranean

Brisset

Burjachs

Ballesteros

et al. 2018

Global and Planetary Change

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Consecutively to the global sea-level rise, coastal landscapes significantly changed during the Early Holocene. We explored how coastal mutations have affected ancient human systems in the western Mediterranean. The Pego-Oliva basin (Spain) provides a thick sediment sequence located in proximity to two well-studied Mesolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites. Based on 16 sediment cores, sedimentological analyses, 14 C dates, and integration of previous works, we reconstructed the architecture of the sedimentary facies and the chronology of deposition for the last 9500 years. From 9500 to 8200 cal. BP, the stepwise inland migration of the coastline is characterised by the deposition of peat layers at distinct depths indicating four phases of barrier-lagoon systems development. The marine transgression caused the disappearance of the lagoon at 8200 cal. BP, and reached a maximum inland position at 7300 cal. BP. Since 5800 cal. BP, sea-level stabilisation induced coastal progradation and barrier-lagoon system construction. Five marine flooding phases dated at 9500, 9100-9000, 8750-8650, 8450-8200, and 8100-7300 cal. BP match Atlantic meltwater pulses. Comparison to archaeology shows that the long-lasting Mesolithic occupation corresponds to the presence of coastal offering easily exploitable local intertidal resources. In contrast, during the Late Mesolithic, we observe a lagoon contraction and the reduction of lagoon bivalves size arguing for a decrease in resource productivity. This changes in the lagoon ecosystems negatively impacted to Late Mesolithic populations leading to a less intense occupation of this area. Therefore, the 700 years' temporal hiatus between the last hunter-gatherers and the first farmers occupying this area is explained by the disappearance of the formerly exploited biotopes because of sea-level rise, a situation that may have been aggravated by coincidence of the 8200 cal. BP climate event. The maximal sea transgression corresponded to a shift from intertidal to infralittoral species between the Impressa/Precardial and the Postcardial Neolithic, indicating a good adaptation to changing environments at that time. However, comparison between Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic suggests that communities with different cultural baggage have had a different perception of the same environment. By the past perspective, it emphasises that perception of the ecosystem value as a benefit or constraint, and of the risks associated with sea-level rise, relies first on the local and regional scales adaptive capacity of society to global changes.

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Section: Influence Of Climate On the Morphogenetic Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-ecological adaptation to Early-Holocene sea-level rise in the western Mediterranean

Brisset

Burjachs

Ballesteros

et al. 2018

Global and Planetary Change

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“…During the Holocene, geological records illustrate eustatic and glacio-hydroisostatic changes (e.g., Lambeck and Purcell, 2005;Spada, 2007, 2009;Roy and Peltier, 2018) superposed by tectonic and local processes (e.g., Pirazzoli, 2005;Antonioli et al, 2009Antonioli et al, , 2011Vacchi et al, 2016). Indeed, tectonic effects on late Holocene RSL histories in the northern Adriatic are particularly important, attesting to variable subsidence and uplift rates (e.g., Benac et al, 2004Benac et al, , 2008Furlani et al, 2011;Suri c et al, 2014;Fontana et al, 2017). The effect of tectonics on RSL histories in the centraleastern Adriatic is, however, less well constrained (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tectonic influences on late Holocene relative sea levels from the central-eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia

Shaw

Plater

Kirby

et al. 2018

Quaternary Science Reviews

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Differential tectonic activity is a key factor responsible for variable relative sea-level (RSL) changes during the late Holocene in the Adriatic. Here, we compare reconstructions of RSL from the central-eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia with ICE-7G_NA (VM7) glacial-isostatic model RSL predictions to assess underlying driving mechanisms of RSL change during the past~2700 years. Local standardized published sea-level index points (n ¼ 23) were combined with a new salt-marsh RSL reconstruction and tide-gauge measurements. We enumerated fossil foraminifera from a short salt-marsh sediment core constrained vertically by modern foraminiferal distributions, and temporally by radiometric analyses providing subcentury resolution within a Bayesian age-depth framework. We modelled changes in RSL using an Errors-In-Variables Integrated Gaussian Process (EIV-IGP) model with full consideration of the available uncertainty. Previously established index points show RSL rising from À1.48 m at 715 BCE to À1.05 m by 100 CE at 0.52 mm/yr (À0.82-1.87 mm/yr). Between 500 and 1000 CE RSL was À0.7 m below present rising to À0.25 m at 1700 CE. RSL rise decreased to a minimum rate of 0.13 mm/yr (À0.37-0.64 mm/yr) at~1450 CE. The salt-marsh reconstruction shows RSL rose~0.28 m since the early 18th century at an average rate of 0.95 mm/yr. Magnitudes and rates of RSL change during the twentieth century are concurrent with long-term tide-gauge measurements, with a rise of~1.1 mm/yr. Predictions of RSL from the ICE-7G_NA (VM7) glacial-isostatic model (À0.25 m at 715 BCE) are consistently higher than the reconstruction (À1.48 m at 715 BCE) during the Late Holocene suggesting a subsidence rate of 0.45 ± 0.6 mm/yr. The new salt-marsh reconstruction and regional index points coupled with glacial-isostatic and statistical models estimate the magnitude and rate of RSL change and subsidence caused by the Adriatic tectonic framework.

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“…In the last six millennia (i.e. mid to late Holocene) the combined effects of the slowing of sea-level rise and the increase of sediment input caused by both climatic and anthropogenic factors (e.g., Butzer, 2005;Anthony et al, 2014;Ghilardi et al, 2017) allowed the formation of large Mediterranean coastal plains that were heavily colonized by civilizations in the different pre-historical and historical periods (e.g., Brückner et al, 2006;Fontana et al, 2017;Giaime et al, 2016). Thus, coastal plains represent a very important archive of the man-environment interactions along the Mediterranean coastal landscape especially in mid to late Holocene.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…changes in climatic parameters, sea level changes or modification of fluvial regimes) and anthropogenic (i.e. deforestation, fires, agriculture) factors majorly influenced the landscape evolution, especially in the last 6 millennia (e.g., Hooke and Le, 2000;Brückner, 2003;Fontana et al, 2017). The aim of this study is to reconstruct the mid to late Holocene palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Tirso coastal plain, in western Sardinia, the second largest Mediterranean Island.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid to late Holocene environmental changes along the coast of western Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea)

Melis

Depalmas

Rita

et al. 2017

Global and Planetary Change

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Multiproxy analysis composed of biostratigraphy and pollen analysis allowed reconstructing the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Tirso river coastal plain in Sardinia (NW Mediterranean) in the last 6 millennia. We demonstrated that interplay between littoral and fluvial processes have significantly controlled the environmental evolution of the area and have played a key role in the pattern of historical and prehistorical settlements of this wide portion of western Sardinian coastline. At the end of Neolithic period (ca. 6.0 to 5.5 cal. ka BP) the area close to the shoreline was most likely characterized by large coastal lagoons intermittently connected to the open sea. Such saltwater influence is corroborated by faunal and pollen assemblages found in the landward portion of the Tirso coastal plain up to 2 km inland from the modern shoreline. Our data robustly document the end of the transgressive trend at ca. 5.5 cal. ka BP, and a dominant fluvial sedimentation since Final Neolithic period. At this time, a progradational trend started, causing the seaward migration of shoreline and, consequently, of the barrier-lagoon system. The major landscape modification tracked along the last 6 millennia may also explain the low density of historical and prehistorical remains in the Tirso coastal plain, especially if compared to the nearby rocky area of Sinis Peninsula densely inhabited since the Neolithic. Our data further provide new insights into the Relative Sea Level (RSL) evolution in this sector of the Mediterranean. In particular, we improved the mid-Holocene RSL record in Sardinia, where only scarce data were previously available

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Lagoonal settlements and relative sea level during Bronze Age in Northern Adriatic: Geoarchaeological evidence and paleogeographic constraints

Cited by 41 publications

References 45 publications

Socio-ecological adaptation to Early-Holocene sea-level rise in the western Mediterranean

Socio-ecological adaptation to Early-Holocene sea-level rise in the western Mediterranean

Tectonic influences on late Holocene relative sea levels from the central-eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia

Mid to late Holocene environmental changes along the coast of western Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea)

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