Relative Sea-Level Changes in the Central Aegean from the Late Roman/Early Byzantine Period Onwards

Abstract

Geoarchaeological data from the central and northern Cycladic plateau coasts, Peloponnese and Crete, and the western coast of Turkey shed light on the Late Roman/Early Byzantine period, for which little is known about the relative sea-level (RSL) changes. This study focuses mainly on ancient maritime installations and coastal structures (e.g., quays, breakwaters, fish tanks, protective rockfills, and buildings), all falling in the same chronological frame. A total of 34 locations throughout the central Aegean (eastern Peloponnese: 5 locations, Cycladic plateau: 6 sites, Crete: 10 locations, western coast of Turkey: 13 locations) were evaluated. Data suggest an RSL rise of 2.40 ± 0.20 m in the eastern Peloponnese and central/northern Cyclades, 1.25 ± 0.05 m in Crete, and a variable RSL rise from 1.50 ± 0.40 m to 4.20 ± 0.30 m on the coast of western Turkey since at least the sixth century AD onwards. The spatial distribution of the above sites in the backarc area of the Hellenic subduction zone implies that the complex tectonic regime of the central Aegean Sea reflects the differential rates of RSL rise over the reference period of about 1400 years.