Alexandria, Egypt, before Alexander the Great: A multidisciplinary approach yields rich discoveries

Stanley, Jean‐Daniel; Carlson, Richard W.; Beek, Gus Van; Jorstad, Thomas F.; Landau, Elizabeth

doi:10.1130/gsat01708a.1

Cited by 27 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The foundation and development of ancient coastal cities are typically associated with the accumulation of pollutant metals in nearby soils and sediments, due to water run‐off particle dispersion from metallurgic activities, as has been shown for several harbor basins from Antiquity (Delile et al, ; Elmaleh et al, ; Le Roux, Morhange, & Veron, ; Le Roux, Veron, & Morhange, ; Marriner, Morhange, Kaniewski, & Carayon, ; Stanley, Carlson, Van Beek, Jorstad, & Landau, ; Véron, Morhange, Poirier, Angeletti, & Bertoncello, ). Consequently, harbor sediment geochemistry may provide a good proxy for distinguishing natural from artificial coastal sedimentary successions.…”

Section: Notes On Sedimentological and Geochemical Dynamics Of Ancienmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene paleogeographic evolution of an ancient port city of the central Mediterranean area: Natural and anthropogenic modifications from Salerno city, southern Italy

et al. 2019

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A multidiplisciplinary study, including geomorphological, lithostratigraphical, geochronological, geochemical, and paleontological investigations, was carried out in the coastal area of Salerno city, southern Italy. The study aimed to outline the Late Glacial‐Holocene geoenvironmental evolution of Salerno's port area in response to both natural and anthropogenic factors. The geomorphological study included an examination of historic maps, which enabled a detailed reconstruction of the coastal landscape change during historic times. Lithostratigraphical analyses of three new boreholes, supported by radiocarbon and tephrochronological data, and of previously retrieved core‐successions and archaeological trenches, extends our reconstruction of the paleogeographical evolution of the Salerno coastal area back to the Late Pleistocene. Geochemical and paleontological analyses of samples from the newly acquired cores were combined with the lithofacies analyses of previously retrieved cores to detect ancient harbors in the area of the current port facilities of the city and surrounding urban areas. This work contributes to scientific debate about the specific sedimentary architectures and geochemical properties of the Salerno harbor environment and refines methodological approaches for characterizing and assessing the evolution and demise of ancient port facilities in Mediterranean coastal cities.

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Section: Notes On Sedimentological and Geochemical Dynamics Of Ancienmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holocene paleogeographic evolution of an ancient port city of the central Mediterranean area: Natural and anthropogenic modifications from Salerno city, southern Italy

et al. 2019

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“…While other coring techniques have been used to investigate submerged archaeological sites (e.g., Macintyre, ; Gorham & Bryant, ; Elkin et al, ; Stanley et al, ), a combination of five features sets this technique and application apart from other methods implemented thus far in maritime archaeology: the coring is conducted by a diver on the seafloor, and not from the water surface, allowing for microhorizontal and vertical control of core placements; the technique is useful in a range of conditions, including high‐energy, rough environments in which other techniques, particularly those conducted from surface vessels, are not practicable; the coring device itself is a simple and cost‐effective technology, making it useful for the low‐budget project or project with minimal technical support; the technique is applicable on both the small‐ (shipwreck or other submerged site) and large‐ (regional) scale; and the microsampling technique is designed to allow the researcher to explore particular features of a site or region through a minimally invasive procedure that allows assessment of both physical/geological and artifactual data. …”

Section: Microsampling and Site Formation Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological Microsampling by Means of Sediment Coring at Submerged Sites

Horlings

2013

Geoarchaeology

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This paper discusses a microsampling technique using a low‐technology, diver‐assisted percussion coring device that was developed for minimally invasive testing of underwater archaeological sites in turbulent environments, specifically in West Africa. The simple and cost‐effective technique is useful across a range of scales including shipwreck sites and larger regions, providing insights into the micro‐ and macro aspects of submerged sites, including site formation processes. A brief case study of its use on a historical shipwreck site is presented that highlights its efficacy as a data‐collection technique used independently or in tandem with more traditional investigative methods such as excavation.

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“…Lead isotopes constitute a complementary tool in that they play a critical role wherever their compositions can be ascribed to anthropogenic influence in the form of lead and heavy metal pollution of sediments accumulated in harbors, which are highly efficient traps for clays and suspensions. Anthropogenic impact using Pb isotopes as a tracer has so far been documented for the ancient harbors of Alexandria (V eron et al, 2006Stanley et al, 2007), Sidon (Le Roux et al, 2003), Marseilles (Le Roux et al, 2005), and Rome (Delile et al, 2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%