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Microfossil investigations as part of multiproxy analyses – the importance of ancient harbour basins as geo-archives

Microfossils as part of multi proxy analyses are a powerful tool to reconstruct environmental changes, sea level fluctuations and coastal development. In combination with datasets, deriving from sedimentological and geochemistry analyses it is possible to follow coastal evolution from open marine to coastal limnic environments. The method is also used in geoarchaeological studies, especially to present an active phase of an ancient harbour, but the infilling of a harbour basin can also use as geo-bio archives. Concerning the microfossil inventory, harbours are very similar to lagoons in habitat type and ecology due to their protected position. In harbour basins, eutrophication is common, caused by the input of human waste and the reduced exchange of water. This is reflected by a ubiquitous faunal association, adapted to temporary deficiency in oxygen. Often, the sedimentation rate is higher than in natural lagoons. Silting up of a harbour leads to the separation from the sea followed by a freshening of the water body with a characteristic freshwater fauna and an increase of organic matter during the final phase. This marked change in the faunal composition, including ostracod freshwater species and the rapid reduction of foraminifer species indicates the disconnection to the sea and the end of the harbour activity. In this study we present the Roman Harbour of Ephesos and the Hellenistic Harbour of Elaia regarding microfossil distribution, sedimentation processes, landscape evolution and human impact. The key difference between the two harbour sites are the various sedimentation rates and the human impact.

Details

Author
Anna Pint1, Peter Frenzel1, Martin Seeliger2, Friederike Stock3, Helmut Brückner4
Institutionen
1Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany; 2Institut für physische Geographie, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany; 3Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, Koblenz, Germany; 4Geographisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Germany
Veranstaltung
GeoSaxonia 2024
Datum
2024
DOI
10.48380/yk0x-v212