Late Holocene coastline and landscape changes to the west of Ephesus, Turkey. (20th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stock, Friederike; Halder, Stefan; Opitz, Stephan; Pint, Anna; Seren, Sirri; Ladstätter, Sabine; Brückner, Helmut
• Is Part Of: Quaternary international. Volume 501(2019)Part B
• Page Start: 349
• Page End: 363
• Publication Date: 2019-01-20
• Subjects: Küçük Menderes graben -- Western Turkey -- Palaeogeography -- Geoarchaeology -- Sedimentology; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2017.09.024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1040-6182

Abstract

Abstract: Palaeogeographical research regarding coastline and landscape changes has been conducted in the Küçük Menderes graben and the environs of the ancient city of Ephesus in Western Turkey for a few decades. Based on geophysical data, multi-proxy and microfaunal analyses of sediment cores, 14 C-AMS age estimates and diagnostic ceramics, this study presents for the first time results of an area close to the present coastline, where a Byzantine church is located on top of a small hill. The results reveal that this mica schist hill turned into an island during the 2nd/1st millennium BCE. It was reconnected to the mainland via a tombolo during the 5th century CE. Drill cores and geophysical measurements surrounding the hill show massive stone layers which were deposited intentionally during the 5th/6th century CE when the Byzantine church was built. Geophysical images point to wall structures in the surroundings of the hill. The area to the northeast hosts a small harbour site. When the coastline continued to shift further to the west, this site was still connected to the sea by the Küçük Menderes river.