Call for Papers AIAC 2018 (due 31 Aug)

Post date: May 30, 2017 12:26:58 AM

Dear colleagues,

A geoarchaeology panel titled "Coastal geoarchaeology in the Mediterranean – on the interdependence of landscape dynamics, harbour installations and economic prosperity in the littoral realm" will be organized as part of Session 2 "The impact of natural environmental factors on ancient economy: climate, landscape" of the 19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology to be held at Cologne/Bonn, 22 – 26 May 2018. Max Engel and Friederike Stock will co-chair this session.

Your contributions are welcome. Please submit your papers online through the conference website: http://www.aiac2018.de/

The deadline for submission is 31 August 2017.

Best wishes,

Friederike Stock and Max Engel

Coastal geoarchaeology in the Mediterranean – on the interdependence of landscape dynamics, harbour installations and economic prosperity in the littoral realm

Organizers: Max Engel and Friederike Stock (University of Cologne)

Mediterranean coastlines are highly dynamic geomorphic landscapes with lateral progradation of up to tens of kilometres in alluvial delta regions during the last 5000 years. After the significant deceleration of post-glacial eustatic sea-level rise around 7000-6000 years ago, a complex interplay of regional and local factors such as vertical tectonic movements, glacial isostatic rebound, sediment supply by rivers and coastal currents, deltaic compaction, and human intervention, led to locally different histories of coastal formation. As the coastal zone provided essential access to food, maritime commerce and colonisation activities, its dynamical nature had a significant impact on the prosperity of ancient communities. In fact, Mediterranean harbours as the gateways to the maritime realm were constantly threatened by gradual sedimentation, tectonic uplift or subsidence, as well as extreme events such as earthquakes or tsunamis. Many harbours became landlocked due to coastal progradation with fundamental repercussions on the political and economic status of ancient poleis.

We invite any contributions studying the influence of the dynamic, physical coastal environment on human communities during Antiquity, may this influence be through gradual, long-term sedimentary or geomorphic processes, or episodic such as through earthquakes or tsunamis. We also invite contributions on any type of ancient human influence on the physical coastal environment including but not limited to the implementation of engineering measures or chemical or sedimentary imprints. All types of contributions are envisaged, including excavation- and field-based case studies, those comprising numerical models, synthesising reviews or advances in scientific methodology and techniques.

Dr. Friederike Stock

Physical geography, geoarchaeology

University of Cologne

Institute for Geography

Albertus-Magnus-Platz

50923 Köln (Cologne)

Reachable: Monday, Tuesday, Friday

Tel.: (0221) 470-4841

Fax: (0221) 470-5124