Archeological structures have been widely used to infer the past relative sea level (RSL). However, pre-Classical settlement linked to sea level are rare and their use is generally limited, also for the dramatic changes occurred in the coastal landscape. An exception is represented by the lagoon belt east of Venice, where many Bronze- Age settlements are now exposed, thanks to the land reclamation carried out in the 20th century. The analysis or published information and of new stratigraphic-chronologic data allow to reconstruct sea-level rise. In addition, three different settlements categories are recognized: a) sites on Holocene fluvial ridges; b) sites on the alluvial plain of the Last Glacial Maximum settled along a groundwater-fed river; c) sites in the lagoon. Since 6000 years ago, the lagoon environment was already partly comparable to modern one in size, with the RSL around -4 m asl. At about 1800 BC, RSL was comprised between -3 and -2.7 m asl, whilst at the transition between recent and final Bronze Age (1250-1100 BCE) it was probably at -2.0 ± 0.6 m asl. The investigated settlements were abandoned during the final Bronze Age, or slightly before. At the end of Bronze Age the sea level seems to have been risen progressively, suggesting that this process was not strongly responsible of the demission phase of the coastal sites. It is likely that socio-cultural changes or other environmental factors should be considered.

Terra-mare: insediamenti lagunari e livello marino relativo durante l’età del Bronzo in Adriatico nord-occidentale

Alessandro Fontana
;
Giacomo Vinci;Giovanni Tasca;Paolo Mozzi;Sandro Rossato;
2018

Abstract

Archeological structures have been widely used to infer the past relative sea level (RSL). However, pre-Classical settlement linked to sea level are rare and their use is generally limited, also for the dramatic changes occurred in the coastal landscape. An exception is represented by the lagoon belt east of Venice, where many Bronze- Age settlements are now exposed, thanks to the land reclamation carried out in the 20th century. The analysis or published information and of new stratigraphic-chronologic data allow to reconstruct sea-level rise. In addition, three different settlements categories are recognized: a) sites on Holocene fluvial ridges; b) sites on the alluvial plain of the Last Glacial Maximum settled along a groundwater-fed river; c) sites in the lagoon. Since 6000 years ago, the lagoon environment was already partly comparable to modern one in size, with the RSL around -4 m asl. At about 1800 BC, RSL was comprised between -3 and -2.7 m asl, whilst at the transition between recent and final Bronze Age (1250-1100 BCE) it was probably at -2.0 ± 0.6 m asl. The investigated settlements were abandoned during the final Bronze Age, or slightly before. At the end of Bronze Age the sea level seems to have been risen progressively, suggesting that this process was not strongly responsible of the demission phase of the coastal sites. It is likely that socio-cultural changes or other environmental factors should be considered.
2018
Percorsi nel Passato
978-88-98997-63-3
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3259380
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