Lagoonal settlements and relative sea level during Bronze Age in Northern Adriatic: Geoarchaeological evidence and paleogeographic constraints

摘要: Abstract The study of archaeological structures has been widely applied in the Mediterranean to infer past relative sea level (RSL), but use Prehistoric sites was generally scarce. Pre-Classical settlements related marine position are quite rare and, after their occupation phase landscape often dramatically changed. A peculiar situation characterizes NW Adriatic coast, along lagoon fringe east Venice, where several Bronze-Age have exposed land reclamation carried out 20th century. We analyzed published information and collected new stratigraphic geochronological data five major index points sea-level recorded. This research investigated detail geomorphological geoarchaeological aspects, allowing distinguish three different typologies settlements: a) on Holocene fluvial ridges; b) alluvial plain Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) groundwater-fed rivers entering lagoon; c) lagoon, controlling key locations. lagoonal environment had an extent rather comparable modern one already 4000–3500 years BCE, when above −4 m respect mean (MSL). In second part early Bronze Age, around 1800 observed RSL between −3.0 and −2.7 m MSL, while at transition between recent final Age (1250–1100 BCE) it probably at −2.0 ± 0.6 m MSL. were abandoned during testify that rose progressively. suggests abandonment not primarily due RSL, socio-cultural reasons or other environmental causes yet well understood by community.