Geophysical mapping of submerged shorelines and anchorage sites at a Mycenaean (Late Bronze) harbour site, Korphos, Greece

Summary

A detailed underwater geophysical and geomorphic survey was conducted at Kalamianos, a recently discovered Mycenaean harbour located near Korphos, Greece. Bathymetry and magnetic gradiometer data (> 400-line km) were acquired across a 10-km2 inshore area to map the Bronze Age shoreline positions and to identify potential anchorage sites. Beachrock elevations, 14C chronology and micropaleontologic data were integrated with bathymetry data to construct a RSL curve and paleoshoreline maps. During the Early Helladic (3100-2150 BC) occupation of the site, the mainland was connected to a small island by a narrow isthmus with a well-sheltered harbor basin in its lee. During the subsequent Mycenaean phase (1300-1190 BC), sea level rose by about 1.5 m, submerging the promontory. Mycenaean shipping activity is recorded by abundant Late Helladic pottery and wood charcoal fragments (AMS 14C age 1640-1400 cal BC) in beachrock and ballast mounds identified by magnetic surveys. No evidence was found for a constructed harbor at Kalamianos but the natural embayments afforded by coastal headlands would have provided well-protected anchorages under varying wind and wave conditions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Marine Geoarchaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-1,03