Late Quaternary sea-level change and early human societies in the central and eastern Mediterranean Basin : an interdisciplinary review

This article reviews key data and debates focused on relative sea-level changes since the Last Interglacial (approximately the last 132,000 years) in the Mediterranean Basin, and their implications for past human populations. Geological and geomorphological landscape studies are critical to archaeology. Coastal regions provide a wide range of resources to the populations that inhabit them. Coastal landscapes are increasingly the focus of scholarly discussions from the earliest exploitation of littoral resources and early hominin cognition, to the inundation of the earliest permanently settled fishing villages and eventually, formative centres of urbanisation. In the Mediterranean, these would become hubs of maritime transportation that gave rise to the roots of modern seaborne trade. As such, this article represents an original review of both the geo-scientific and archaeological data that specifically relate to sea-level changes and resulting impacts on both physical and cultural landscapes from the Palaeolithic until the emergence of the Classical periods. Our review highlights that the interdisciplinary links between coastal archaeology, geomorphology and sea-level changes are important to explain environmental impacts on coastal human societies and human migration. We review geological indicators of sea level and outline how archaeological features are commonly used as proxies for measuring past sea levels, both gradual changes and catastrophic events. We argue that coastal archaeologists should, as a part of their analyses, incorporate important sea-level concepts, such as indicative meaning. The interpretation of the indicative meaning of Roman fishtanks, for example, plays a critical role in reconstructions of late Holocene Mediterranean sea levels. We identify avenues for future work, which include the consideration of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) in addition to coastal tectonics to explain vertical movements of coastlines, more research on Palaeolithic island colonisation, broadening of Palaeolithic studies to include materials from the entire coastal landscape and not just coastal resources, a focus on rescue of archaeological sites under threat by coastal change, and expansion of underwater archaeological explorations in combination with submarine geomorphology. This article presents a collaborative synthesis of data, some of which have been collected and analysed by the authors, as the MEDFLOOD (MEDiterranean sea-level change and projection for future FLOODing) community, and highlights key sites, data, concepts and ongoing debates

Geometric morphometric analysis and internal structure measurements of the Neanderthal lower fourth premolars from Kalamakia, Greece

This study investigates two Neanderthal lower fourth premolars from Kalamakia, Greece, in order to better explore and document the morphology of the Kalamakia assemblage. The material consisted of micro-CT scans of the Kalamakia premolars (KAL6 and KAL9), and a comparative sample of 51 specimens, including 10 Neanderthals, one early Homo sapiens, and 40 recent Homo sapiens. The premolars were analyzed applying geometric morphometric methods on crown outlines as well as collecting measurements on internal dental structures. Data were subjected to principal components and other standard statistical analyses. A between-group principal components analysis of the outline shape coordinates separated our Neanderthal sample from the modern human one with little overlap. KAL9 showed the most extreme Neanderthal shape while KAL6 fell within the NEA shape range. Additional measurements of internal structures, especially the lateral dentine and pulp chamber volume, strengthened these results

ELECTRIC FIELD ALIGNMENT OF MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES THROUGH CURING OF AN EPOXY MATRIX

The electrical alignment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in an epoxy resin was studied through curing using electrical measurements and optical microscopy. The epoxy system was composed by diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A and 4,4?-methylene bis-(3-chloro 2,6-diethylaniline). Long multi-walled carbon nanotubes were ultrasonically mixed with epoxy resin to form a 0.01 wt% MWCNT mixture. Samples were cured with alternating current electric fields applying different AC voltages. The electrical conductivity of the composite increased upon applied voltage as higher alignment of carbon nanotubes was achieved. The enhanced alignment was visualized by optical microscopy. Improvements in capacitance behaviour were also achieved with the highest value of current field.Fil: Ramos, A.. University of the Basque Country; EspañaFil: Esposito, L.. University of the Basque Country; EspañaFil: Kortaberria, G.. University of the Basque Country; EspañaFil: Fernandez Darlas, B.. University of the Basque Country; EspañaFil: Zalakain, I.. University of the Basque Country; EspañaFil: Goyanes, Silvia Nair. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Mondragon, I.. University of the Basque Country; Españ

First Speleothem Evidence of the Hiera Eruption (197 BC), Santorini, Greece

Speleothems are useful in detecting past geoenvironmental events. Variations in trace element concentrations may constitute a diagnostic of volcanic eruptions, enabling both dating and environmental impact assessment. This work attempts to detect possible ‘signatures’ of past volcanic eruptions in speleothems from Zoodochos Pigi cave on Santorini. Higher-than-usual concentrations of elements and minerals (e.g. barium and monazite respectively) exotic to typical speleothem chemistry in a band within a flowstone retrieved from the cave were revealed through SEM-EDS and XRD analyses and thought to be of volcanic origin. By chance, charcoal trapped in the said speleothem band allowed dating to establish the timing of the volcanic event. The radiocarbon date pointed towards the historically documented Hiera eruption, the earliest of a series of volcanic eruptions that postdate the Minoan eruption. The Hiera eruption, although less violent than the Minoan eruption, signallised the recrudescence of intracaldera activity which culminated in the formation of Palea Kameni (197 BC) with palpable effects on the regional environment. The interpretation of the results presented here, i.e. geochemical analysis on speleothems and radiocarbon dating, are cross-correlated with the well-documented timeline of eruptions of Santorini and ancient literature. © Association for Environmental Archaeology 2020

First Speleothem Evidence of the Hiera Eruption (197 BC), Santorini, Greece

Speleothems are useful in detecting past geoenvironmental events. Variations in trace element concentrations may constitute a diagnostic of volcanic eruptions, enabling both dating and environmental impact assessment. This work attempts to detect possible ‘signatures’ of past volcanic eruptions in speleothems from Zoodochos Pigi cave on Santorini. Higher-than-usual concentrations of elements and minerals (e.g. barium and monazite respectively) exotic to typical speleothem chemistry in a band within a flowstone retrieved from the cave were revealed through SEM-EDS and XRD analyses and thought to be of volcanic origin. By chance, charcoal trapped in the said speleothem band allowed dating to establish the timing of the volcanic event. The radiocarbon date pointed towards the historically documented Hiera eruption, the earliest of a series of volcanic eruptions that postdate the Minoan eruption. The Hiera eruption, although less violent than the Minoan eruption, signallised the recrudescence of intracaldera activity which culminated in the formation of Palea Kameni (197 BC) with palpable effects on the regional environment. The interpretation of the results presented here, i.e. geochemical analysis on speleothems and radiocarbon dating, are cross-correlated with the well-documented timeline of eruptions of Santorini and ancient literature. © Association for Environmental Archaeology 2020