Coastal Geoarchaeology in the Mediterranean – on the Interdependence of Landscape Dynamics, Harbour Installations and Economic Prosperity in the Littoral Realm

Mediterranean coastlines are highly dynamic landscapes, shifting up to tens of kilometres during the last ca. six millennia in the case of prograding delta plains. In these low-lying coastal environments, many ancient harbour installations became landlocked with severe impacts on the political and economic situation as well as the status of urban centres and their hinterland. At the same time, rising relative sea levels may have resulted in the salinisation of aquifers and adverse effects on agricultural production. This collection of papers from Panel 2.3 “Coastal geoarchaeology in the Mediterranean – on the interdependence of landscape dynamics, harbour installations and economic prosperity in the littoral realm” covers those topics for different parts of the Mediterranean geographical entity over the last 2,500 years. These studies successfully demonstrate how geoscience data help to locate harbour sites and support the interpretation of archaeological remains and literature sources of ancient authors. Each contribution therefore represents a striking example for the relevance of interdisciplinary approaches in archaeology, as summarised in the concept of geoarchaeology.