Kosmas Pavlopoulos

Piraeus, the ancient island of Athens: Evidence from Holocene sediments and historical archives

The famous Greek geographer Strabo wrote in the fi rst century A.D., that Piraeus was formerly an island and lay ‘over against’ the mainland, from which it got its name. To validate Strabo’s hypothesis, cartographic and historical data were compiled with multiproxy paleoenvironmental analyses and radiocarbon dating from a series of boreholes drilled in the Cephissus coastal plain, southwest of Athens, Greece. The results of this interdisciplinary geoarchaeological research demonstrate the reliability of Strabo’s text by revealing that Piraeus was indeed an island. In early Holocene time, the rocky hill of Piraeus was linked to the mainland of Attica. During the late to fi nal Neolithic Period (4850‐3450 B.C.), Piraeus became an island in a shallow marine bay, due to sea-level rise in the Holocene. Between 2850 and 1550 B.C., in the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Piraeus was separated from the mainland by a wide lagoon. In the fi fth century B.C., Themistocles, Cimon, and then Pericles connected Athens to Piraeus by building two “long walls” partly built on a residual coastal marsh called the Halipedon. This study reveals an impressive example of past landscape evolution.

BRACKISH MARSH BENTHIC MICROFAUNA AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES DURING THE LAST 6000 YEARS AT THE COASTAL PLAIN OF MARATHON (SE GREECE)

The present study, based mainly on the analysis of foraminifers and ostracodes, provides evidence of paleoenvironmental changes on the coastal plain of Marathon (E. Greece) during the last 6.000 yrs. Three sedimentary units -lagoonal formations - were recognized and identified as A, B and C. They range in time between before 5500BP-3500BP, 3500BP-2500BP and 2500BP-recent, respectively. The study of the brackish marsh microfauna of the Marathon plain Holocene sediments reveals the presence, during the last 5500 yrs., of three distinct biofacies in the sedimentary units already established. Alternating mesohaline - oligohaline (MO), oligohaline - fresh water (OFW) and mesohaline - oligohaline to oligohaline - fresh water (MO-OFW) biofacies in the framework of the sedimentary units indicate a general trend landward along the plain suggesting a slowing of sea-level rise probably correlated with a relevant tectonic uplift. One prominent feature of this study is the clarification of the ecological preference of the species Trichohya1us aguayoi (Bermudez, 1935), which is dominant in oligohaline conditions under an influence of fresh water input (salinity less than 15 ‰).

Monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Northeast Aegean Sea using Posidonia oceanica seagrass and synthetic passive samplers.

The concentrations of 22 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Posidonia oceanica seagrass, sediments, and seawater from the Alexandroupolis Gulf in the Aegean Sea, were investigated from 2007 to 2011. Temporal trends of total PAH contents in P. oceanica and sediments were similar. PAH levels in seawater, sediments, and seagrasses generally decreased with increasing distance from Alexandroupolis Port. Leaves and sheaths of P. oceanica had higher PAH levels than roots and rhizomes. P. oceanica accumulates PAHs and has good potential as a bioindicator of spatiotemporal pollution trends. PAH concentrations were also examined using in situ passive seawater sampling and were compared to results of passive sampling in the laboratory using local sediments and seawater. Levels of high molecular weight PAHs assessed using passive samplers confirmed the decreasing gradient of pollution away from Alexandroupolis Port. Passive sampling also proved useful for investigating sources of PAHs in P. oceanica meadows.

The Interplay between Environment and People from Neolithic to Classical Times in Greece and Albania

The objective of this chapter is to examine environmental and societal changes in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. By virtue of its position facing Asia Minor (Anatolia), the southern part of the Balkans, comprised of Greece (here defined to include Attica, Boetia and the Peloponnesus) and Albania, played an important role in the transmission of agriculture practices and civilization to the European continent, a process commonly labelled Neolithization (Van Andel et al. 1980; Perles 2001; Touchais and Renard 2002). The Near East contributions are undeniable, but it also appears that indigenous civilizations began very quickly to differentiate themselves. This led to a dense agricultural development of the region at the start of the Bronze Age, occasionally with an impressive management of hydraulic constraints, culminating notably in the management of ‘poljes’ (areas of coalescent karst sinkhole or dolines) during the Mycenaean period in Boetia, Thessaly, as well as the Peloponnesus (Knauss 1991). The agricultural cultivation and the agro-pastoral activities that followed, combined with the role of climatic fluctuations, resulted in the intense clearing of land that at times led to significant erosion. The agricultural development was eventually accompanied by the development of cities. The Minoan period, limited to Crete, and the following Mycenaean period that extended to the whole of ancient Greece provide the most impressive examples. This substratum largely prepared for the advent of Greek cities, the ‘Athenian miracle’ and the expansion of Hellenism across the whole of the Mediterranean Basin and the Black Sea.

Last glacial geomorphologic records in Mt Chelmos, North Peloponnesus, Greece

This study deals with the analysis of the glacial processes that have affected the relief of Mt Chelmos in northern Peloponnesus, Greece during middle and Late Pleistocene. The goal was to compile a combined geomorphological-geological map of the study area which would enable the chronological stratification of the glacial landforms cropping up on Mt. Chelmos. Chronological stratification was further aided by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The map served as the basis upon which the reconstruction and discussion on the phases of the Middle-Late Quaternary paleoclimatic history of Mt. Chelmos have been made. A sophisticated semiautomated method was first used to analyze the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), combined with Aster, Quickbird and ALOS imagery in order to identify glacial and periglacial, as well as karstic features. Then, these features along with other nonrecognizable features from the remote-sensing images were documented in the field. In this way, several glacial landforms were identified, such as moraines and cirques, indicating extended glaciation phases during the middle and Late Pleistocene. Additionally, a ground moraine located at an altitude of 1900-2050 m, within the Spanolakos glacial valley, was dated using the OSL-dating method. The resulting ages indicate a phase of glacier advance/stabilization during MIS-5b (89-86 ka), which is in consistence with pollenrecord evidence from Greece and the Mediterranean.

GEOMOPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX FOR OIL SPILLS OF ANAVYSSOS BAY, ATTICA

Η διeρeύνηση και η αποτύπωση της παράκτιας και υποθαλάσσιας γeωμορφολογίας των γeιτονικών όρμων Αναβύσσου και Αγίου Νικολάου, στη νοτιοανατολική Αττική, πραγματοποιήθηκe μe την ακουστική σάρωση του πυθμένα, μe μονοδeσμικό βυθόμeτρο και ηχοβολιστή πλeυρικής σάρωσης, μe τοπογραφικές τομές κάθeτeς στην ακτογραμμή, μe τη συλλογή και ανάλυση θαλάσσιων και παράκτιων δeιγμάτων ιζήματος καθώς και από τη μeλέτη των ιστορικών αλλαγών της ακτογραμμής μέσω σύγκρισης παλιών αeροφωτογραφιών και νeώτeρων δορυφορικών eικόνων. Το χeρσαίο τμήμα της παράκτιας πeριοχής αποτeλeίται από πλήθος γeωμορφών όπως λιμνοθάλασσeς, κρημνούς, beachrocks, τόμπολο κ.ά. Οι αιγιαλοί παρουσιάζουν ήπιeς κλίσeις και μικρές υψομeτρικές διαφορές, μe έντονη ανθρώπινη δραστηριότητα. Αποτeλούνται από χαλαρά ιζήματα αμμώδους ή χαλικώδους σύστασης υποδηλώνοντας ένα ήπιο υδροδυναμικά παράκτιο πeριβάλλον. Τοπικά, καταγράφονται μικρές διαχρονικές μeταβολές της ακτογραμμής eνδeίξeις μικρής διάβρωσης, της τάξης των ± 2 μέτρων. Το υποθαλάσσιο τμήμα της παραλίας eμφανίζeι σχeτικά ομαλές κλίσeις και μικρά βάθη, μe την άμμο να κυριαρχeί στα ρηχότeρα τμήματα του Όρμου και τις eκτeνeίς συστάδeς της Posidonia Oceanica προς την ανοιχτή θάλασσα. Από την αποτύπωση της υφής των ιζημάτων και των γeωμορφών που συνιστούν το παράκτιο τμήμα της πeριοχής προσδιορίστηκαν τeσσέρeις κατηγορίeς (1η, 2η, 3η και 5η) του δeίκτη πeριβαλλοντικής eυαισθησίας στην πeτρeλαϊκή ρύπανση (E.S.I.) και προέκυψe ο αντίστοιχος διαχeιριστικός χάρτης.

Holocene lithostratigraphy and its implementation in the geoarchaeological research of the Athenian Basin, Greece

The Athenian Basin is a very interesting area from an archaeological point of view, since it is inhabited from Neolithic time. The human impact on the landscape is shown by the ancient constructions such as the Long Walls and the canalization of the rivers in the area of the Athenian Basin and Piraeus. The aim of the study is to detect the paleogeographical evolution of this area. In order to manipulate all the available information obtained from literature review (topographic maps, geological maps, ancient maps and references) and the stratigraphic data from 227 boreholes from the Athenian Basin, a GIS database was established. After the interpretation of the stratigraphy from the boreholes, six lithostratigraphic units were defined. Maps and 3D models were designed to represent the succession of the lithostratigraphy of each period. Paleogeographic maps were created in order to represent the landscape for each lithostratigraphic unit of the Athenian basin, and extract results for the temporal and spatial changes of the paleo-landscape and the involvement of the human impact on the depositional process in the Athenian Basin during Holocene.

n-Alkanes and stable C, N isotopic compositions as identifiers of organic matter sources in Posidonia oceanica meadows of Alexandroupolis Gulf, NE Greece

We analyzed n-alkane contents and their stable carbon isotope composition, as well as the carbon and nitrogen isotope composition (δ(13)C, δ(15)N) of sediment organic matter and different tissues of Posidonia oceanica seagrass sampled in Alexandroupolis Gulf (A.G.), north-eastern Greece, during 2007-2011. n-Alkane contents in P. oceanica and in sediments showed similar temporal trends, but relative to bulk organic carbon content, n-alkanes were much more enriched in sediments compared to seagrass tissue. Individual n-alkanes in sediments had similar values than seagrass roots and rhizomes and were more depleted in (13)C compared to seagrass leaves and sheaths, with δ(13)C values ranging from -35‰ to -28‰ and from -25‰ to -20‰, respectively. n-Alkane indexes such as the Carbon Preference Index, carbon number maximum, and n-alkane proxy 1 (C23+C25/C23+C25+C29+C31) indicate strong inputs of terrestrial organic matter, while the presence of unresolved complex mixtures suggests potential oil pollution in some sampled areas.