Les villes romaines face aux inondations. La place des données archéologiques dans l’étude des risques fluviaux

Allinne, Cécile

doi:10.4000/geomorphologie.674

Cited by 23 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Our study shows that Halmyris’ inhabitants exploited a natural fluvial channel to host their harbour in Getic/Greek and Roman times. In Antiquity, settlements located along river channels used riverine flow which explains why several of them have densely artificialized riverbanks, particularly in urban areas (Allinne, 2007). Numerous rural settlements were founded along the palaeo-channels of the Rhone delta (France), particularly between the 3rd century BC and the 7th century AD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Halmyris: Geoarchaeology of a fluvial harbour on the Danube Delta (Dobrogea, Romania)

et al. 2018

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In Northern Dobrogea, north of the Dunavăţ promontory, the Roman fortress of Halmyris was founded in the late 1st century AD on a Getic settlement dating to the middle of the 1st millennium BC, probably associated with a Greek emporium of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. At the time of the foundation of Halmyris, the Danube delta had already prograded several kilometres to the east leading to the progressive retreat of the sea and the formation of a deltaic plain characterised by numerous lakes and river channels. Here, we present the results of a multiproxy study combining sedimentology and palaeoecology to: (i) understand the evolution of fluvial landscapes around Halmyris since ca. 8000 years BP, (ii) identify the fluvial palaeoenvironments close to the city in Getic/Greek and Roman times, in order to locate and characterise the waterfront and the harbour. Our overriding objective was to improve understanding of humanenvironment relations in river delta settings. We demonstrate that Halmyris, protected by the Danubian floods due to its location on a palaeo-cliff top, had direct access to the river. A secondary channel of the Saint George, flowing north of the site, has been elucidated between the 7th century BC and the 7th century AD and could have been used as a natural harbour.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Halmyris: Geoarchaeology of a fluvial harbour on the Danube Delta (Dobrogea, Romania)

et al. 2018

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“…It is important to recognize that the current concept of risk takes on different meaning depending on the cultures and the periods considered (Kasperson et al, 2005;Arnaud-Fassetta et al, 2009;Bradford et al, 2012). As such, since the 1980's, interdisciplinary studies involving archaeologists, geoarchaeologists and historians have been engaged to examine possible alluvial risks during the Roman period to cities (Bravard, Burnouf, & Vérot, 1989;Bravard et al, 1990;Allinne, 2007;Leveau, 2008;Arnaud-Fassetta et al, 2010) and deltaic areas (Arnaud-Fassetta & Landuré, 2003). During the Roman period, the term "risk" did not exist, but the experience of fluvial events and their disruptions in Rome are well recorded in ancient texts (Le Gall, 1953).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐Term Interactions between the Roman City of Ostia and Its Paleomeander, Tiber Delta, Italy

et al. 2016

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This study examines the long term interactions between the well-known Roman city of Ostia and a river meander. Located at the mouth of the Tiber River, Ostia was a major harbor city that connected Rome to the Mediterranean Sea. Based on aerial photography and boreholes analysis, the paleodynamics of the Fiume Morto's paleomeander are understood to be linked to the urban evolution of the city of Ostia. Four periods of evolution have been identified as a result of this interdisciplinary work: (1) the foundation of Ostia's urban center, in the 4 th -3 rd century BC, occurred when the meander already existed;(2) between the 4 th century BC and the 3 rd century AD, human/environmental interactions contributed to the compound growing of the meander which possibly eroded an important Roman road linking Ostia to Rome; (3) from the Imperial period until the meander was cut off in AD 1557-1562, the constricted meander channel at the apex led to the stability of the downstream river channel; (4) the cut off of the paleomeander was completed in 1562, leading to the filling of the paleochannel. These successive phases of channel evolution mark changing fluvial risks from the Roman period to today.

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“…In this article, embankment will be taken to mean structures lining the riverbank, while dyke will refer to raised structures built above the level of the riverbank. Embankments and dykes represent one of the most accessible and effective responses to the risk of flooding and channel movement and, as such, are a common management strategy (Allinne, 2007: 76). Although little input was theoretically needed beyond their initial construction, the materials used and their level of maintenance (especially in the wake of damage) had a major impact on their longevity and effectiveness 25…”

Section: Defensive Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They generally consist of a durable barrier that separates the riverbank from the water, protecting it from erosion and undermining. These structures rarely extend in height above the top of the riverbank, a feature often seen in urban embankments where the area immediately behind the structure might serve as a landing stage and loading area (Allinne, 2007: 72–3). Embankments may also be linked to land consolidation efforts that raise the ground level behind them.…”

Section: Defensive Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 5 Fluvial hazards and risk in Italy have not been approached in the same way as in countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands, where there exists an established tradition of scholarship concerning fluvial management and landscapes. See, for example, Allinne's (2005, 2007) work on urban responses to fluvial hazards in southern France; Franconi's (2014, 2016, 2017a, b) work on the Rhine which has highlighted the impact climate had on riparian systems, and the anthropogenic responses to try to counter it (often unsuccessfully); and Rieth's (1998) discussions on historical fluvial landscapes.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Riverbed, Banks and Beyond: An Examination of Roman Infrastructure and Interventions in Response to Hydrological Risk in the Po–venetian Plain

Page¹

2021

Pap. Br. Sch. Rome

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Water poses a particular challenge to the cities and settlements of the Po–Venetian plain. The region has some of the highest levels of precipitation in Italy and is criss-crossed by dozens of rivers, including the Po, Adige and Tagliamento. Throughout history, there was considerable hydrological risk to the well-being of riparian communities from hazards such as flooding and lateral channel movement, yet local residents did not sit idly by. This article synthesizes the available evidence for Roman responses to hydrological risk in the Po–Venetian plain from the first century BC to the sixth century AD, examining their workings and the hazards they sought to counteract, integrating them into wider discussions on risk in the Roman world. The responses are divided into the categories of defensive works (embankments and dykes) and channel interventions (channel rectification, channel diversion and dredging). While the effectiveness of these methods is questioned, in particular their potential to cause unintended changes to the watercourse, the decision by riparian communities to undertake them suggests a degree of local success. Nevertheless, an examination of the archaeological and palaeoclimatic evidence suggests a discrepancy between peak intervention and peak risk, implying increasing vulnerability and risk acceptance amongst riparian communities during late antiquity. L'acqua pone una particolare sfida alle città e agli insediamenti della pianura padano-veneta. La regione è caratterizzata da alcuni tra i più alti livelli di precipitazioni in Italia ed è attraversata da molti fiumi, tra cui il Po, l'Adige e il Tagliamento. Nel corso della storia, le comunità rivierasche hanno dovuto affrontare un notevole rischio idrologico legato a inondazioni e instabilità dei canali laterali. Gli abitanti dell'area non sono certamente rimasti a guardare. Questo articolo propone una sintesi delle evidenze disponibili relativamente alle risposte romane al rischio idrologico nella pianura padano-veneta dal I secolo a.C. al VI secolo d.C., esaminando il loro funzionamento e i pericoli che hanno cercato di contrastare, integrandole in più ampie discussioni sul rischio nel mondo romano. Le soluzioni individuate per arginare il rischio idrogeologico sono suddivise nelle categorie di opere difensive (argini e fossati) e interventi di canalizzazione (modifiche e deviazioni dei canali e dragaggio). Sebbene l'efficacia di questi metodi sia stata messa in dubbio, in particolare la loro possibilità di causare cambiamenti non intenzionali al corso d'acqua, la decisione delle comunità rivierasche di adottarli suggerisce un certo grado di successo locale. Tuttavia, un esame delle testimonianze archeologiche e paleoclimatiche suggerisce una discrepanza tra il picco di intervento e il picco di rischio, implicando una crescente vulnerabilità e un'accettazione del rischio tra le comunità rivierasche durante la tarda antichità.

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Les villes romaines face aux inondations. La place des données archéologiques dans l’étude des risques fluviaux

Cited by 23 publications

References 18 publications

Halmyris: Geoarchaeology of a fluvial harbour on the Danube Delta (Dobrogea, Romania)

Halmyris: Geoarchaeology of a fluvial harbour on the Danube Delta (Dobrogea, Romania)

Long‐Term Interactions between the Roman City of Ostia and Its Paleomeander, Tiber Delta, Italy

Riverbed, Banks and Beyond: An Examination of Roman Infrastructure and Interventions in Response to Hydrological Risk in the Po–venetian Plain

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