Human impact on Holocene sediment dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean – the example of the Roman harbour of Ephesus
Friederike Stock
(1)
,
Maria Knipping
(2)
,
Anna Pint
(1)
,
Sabine Ladstätter
(3)
,
Hugo Delile
(4)
,
Andreas . G. Heiss
(5)
,
Hannes Laermanns
(1)
,
Piers D. Mitchell
(6)
,
René Ployer
(7)
,
Martin Steskal
(8)
,
Ursula Thanheiser
(3)
,
Ralf Urz
(9)
,
Volker Wennrich
(1)
,
Helmut Brückner
(1)
1
University of Cologne
2 Universität Hohenheim
3 Austrian Archaeological Institute
4 EVS - Environnement, Ville, Société
5 Universität Wien = University of Vienna
6 CAM - University of Cambridge [UK]
7 Division of Archaeology, Federal Monuments
8 ÖAI - Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut
9 Philipps Universität Marburg = Philipps University of Marburg
2 Universität Hohenheim
3 Austrian Archaeological Institute
4 EVS - Environnement, Ville, Société
5 Universität Wien = University of Vienna
6 CAM - University of Cambridge [UK]
7 Division of Archaeology, Federal Monuments
8 ÖAI - Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut
9 Philipps Universität Marburg = Philipps University of Marburg
Hugo Delile
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 1181103
- IdHAL : hugo-delile
- ORCID : 0000-0002-4711-035X
Helmut Brückner
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 772927
- ORCID : 0000-0002-2130-5394
Résumé
During the past millennia, many erosion and accumulation processes have been modified by anthropogenic impact. This holds especially true for the environs of ancient settlements and their harbours along the Mediterranean coasts. Our multi-proxy investigations in the Roman harbour and the harbour canal of Ephesus (western Turkey) reveals that humans have significantly triggered soil erosion during the last three millennia. Since the eighth century BC, and especially since the Hellenistic period, a high sed-imentation rate indicates fast alluviation and delta progradation of the Küçük Menderes. Deforestation, agriculture (especially ploughing) and grazing (especially goats) were the main reasons for erosion of the river catchment area. One consequence was significant siltation of the Hellenistic/Roman harbour basin. This sediment trap archives the human impact, which was strongly enhanced from Hellenistic/Roman to Byzantine times (second/first centuries BC to the sixth/seventh centuries AD), evidenced by high sedimentation rates, raised values of heavy metal contaminations [lead (Pb), copper (Cu)], the occurrence of fruit tree pollen and of intestinal parasites. From the middle to the end of the first millennium AD, the influence of Ephesus declined, which resulted in a decrease of human impact. Studies of several ancient settlements around the Mediterranean Sea tell a comparable story. They also confirm that during their most flourishing periods the human impact totally overprinted the climatic one. To detect the latter, geo-bio-archives of relatively pristine areas have to be investigated in detail.
Format du dépôt | Notice |
---|---|
Type de dépôt | Article dans une revue |
Titre |
en
Human impact on Holocene sediment dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean – the example of the Roman harbour of Ephesus
|
Résumé |
en
During the past millennia, many erosion and accumulation processes have been modified by anthropogenic impact. This holds especially true for the environs of ancient settlements and their harbours along the Mediterranean coasts. Our multi-proxy investigations in the Roman harbour and the harbour canal of Ephesus (western Turkey) reveals that humans have significantly triggered soil erosion during the last three millennia. Since the eighth century BC, and especially since the Hellenistic period, a high sed-imentation rate indicates fast alluviation and delta progradation of the Küçük Menderes. Deforestation, agriculture (especially ploughing) and grazing (especially goats) were the main reasons for erosion of the river catchment area. One consequence was significant siltation of the Hellenistic/Roman harbour basin. This sediment trap archives the human impact, which was strongly enhanced from Hellenistic/Roman to Byzantine times (second/first centuries BC to the sixth/seventh centuries AD), evidenced by high sedimentation rates, raised values of heavy metal contaminations [lead (Pb), copper (Cu)], the occurrence of fruit tree pollen and of intestinal parasites. From the middle to the end of the first millennium AD, the influence of Ephesus declined, which resulted in a decrease of human impact. Studies of several ancient settlements around the Mediterranean Sea tell a comparable story. They also confirm that during their most flourishing periods the human impact totally overprinted the climatic one. To detect the latter, geo-bio-archives of relatively pristine areas have to be investigated in detail.
|
Auteur(s) |
Friederike Stock
1
, Maria Knipping
2
, Anna Pint
1
, Sabine Ladstätter
3
, Hugo Delile
4
, Andreas . G. Heiss
5
, Hannes Laermanns
1
, Piers D. Mitchell
6
, René Ployer
7
, Martin Steskal
8
, Ursula Thanheiser
3
, Ralf Urz
9
, Volker Wennrich
1
, Helmut Brückner
1
1
University of Cologne
( 93583 )
- University of Cologne, Germany
- France
2
Universität Hohenheim
( 306614 )
- 70593 Stuttgart
- Allemagne
3
Austrian Archaeological Institute
( 179403 )
- Cairo
- Égypte
4
EVS -
Environnement, Ville, Société
( 145345 )
- 18 Rue Chevreul
69362 LYON CEDEX 07
UMR 5600
- France
5
Universität Wien = University of Vienna
( 300742 )
- Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien
- Autriche
6
CAM -
University of Cambridge [UK]
( 237843 )
- The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN
- Royaume-Uni
7
Division of Archaeology, Federal Monuments
( 455413 )
- Autriche
8
ÖAI -
Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut
( 218929 )
- Vienne
- Autriche
9
Philipps Universität Marburg = Philipps University of Marburg
( 303418 )
- Philipps-Universität Marburg, Biegenstraße 10, 35032 Marburg
- Allemagne
|
Langue du document |
Anglais
|
Nom de la revue |
|
Vulgarisation |
Non
|
Comité de lecture |
Oui
|
Audience |
Internationale
|
Date de publication |
2016
|
Domaine(s) |
|
Mots-clés |
en
harbour geoarchaeology, human impact, sediment dynamics, eastern Mediterranean, geochemistry
|
DOI | 10.1002/esp.3914 |
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