The evolution of the coastal and maritime landscape of South central and Southeast Crete (Late Final Neolithic to Roman period). A contribution to the comprehension of a fragmented seascape.

Abstract

The long past of the attested maritime activity in the island of Crete, its strategic geographical position regarding the Mediterranean sea-routes (of either short or long distance trade) and its high seismic activity, which is constantly evolving the geomorphology of its coastal landscape due to the fact that the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the African one right under the island, make it an ideal terrain for the practice of coastal archaeology and geo-archaeology. This dissertation attempts to raise the knowledge regarding the evolution of the little-known maritime and coastal landscape of South central and Southeast coast of Crete. The research covers a wide timespan, which begins in the transitional period that precedes the Bronze Age, the Late Final Neolithic at ca. 3200 BC and finishes with the division of the Roman empire in AD 395. Furthermore it concerns twenty-four study areas comprised in the coastal area between the locations of Lassaia and Livari as well as the opposite islands of Chryssi and Lefki. The methodology that I followed was the multidisciplinary and as extensive as possible data collection regarding the areas of study, as well as the on-site visits that were accompanied by a detailed photographic documentation. The process of this data in combination with several new observations and evidence led to a much-improved comprehension of this until recently unknown seascape