0000000000114687
AUTHOR
Christina Klein
New research at Riņņukalns, a Neolithic freshwater shell midden in northern Latvia
The prehistoric shell middens of Atlantic Europe consist of marine molluscs, but the eastern Baltic did not have exploitable marine species. Here the sole recorded shell midden, at Riņņukalns in Latvia, is on an inland lake and is formed of massive dumps of freshwater shells. Recent excavations indicate that they are the product of a small number of seasonal events during the later fourth millennium BC. The thickness of the shell deposits suggests that this was a special multi-purpose residential site visited for seasonal aggregations by pottery-using hunter-gatherer communities on the northern margin of Neolithic Europe.
Taken from the sea, reclaimed by the sea: The fate of the closed harbour of Elaia, the maritime satellite city of Pergamum (Turkey)
Abstract During Hellenistic times, when the Pergamenian kingdom was prospering, Pergamum was operating an important harbour, used by merchants and military at the city of Elaia. This paper focuses on the development, utilisation and decay of the closed harbour of Elaia, which is discussed in the context of the landscape evolution of the environs of the ancient settlement. Based on geoarchaeological, archaeological and literary evidence, the construction of two harbour moles in order to provide shelter against wave action and enemies can be attributed to the early Hellenistic period. Geoelectric measurements revealed the construction profile of the moles. Coring evidence indicated that toget…
The Purpose and Age of Underwater Walls in the Bay of Elaia of Western Turkey: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Pergamum (modern: Bergama) was operating an important harbour used by military forces and merchants at the city of Elaia during Hellenistic and Roman Imperial times. Harbour-related facilities such as warehouses, breakwaters and wharfs document the importance of this harbour site not only for the Pergamenians. This paper focuses on the purpose and age of six submerged wall structures situated approximately 1 km south of the ancient closed harbour basin of Elaia. Geoelectric cross-sections and semi-aquatic coring near these walls failed to detect any solid basement under the walls which excludes their possible use as breakwaters or wharfs. Instead, the walls were most likely delineating and …