Palaeogeographical Evolution and Sea Level Changes during Holocene in the Prehistoric Settlement of Mikro Vouni (Samothrace Island, Greece)

This paper deals with the Coastal and Palaeogeographical evolution of the Mikro Vouni Prehistoric settlement controlled by the sea level rise and the tectonic uplift of Samothrace Island. Mikro Vouni is a coastal settlement of great importance situated on a tell in the SW part of the island. The archaeological excavations yielded remains attesting to human occupation from the Late Neolithic period until 1,700 BC. In order to investigate the palaeogeography of the Mikro Vouni area, geoarchaeological research with borehole drilling, geomorphological, palaeontological, stratigraphical, electrical resistivity tomography, and radiocarbon dating methods was undertaken. The results of the aforementioned methods showed a coastal zone evolution highly influenced by significant uplift rates (similar to 2 mm/yr) in combination with a transgressional process due to sea level rise. The Palaeogeographical evolution of the Mikro Vouni settlement is summarized in the following 4 stages. I) Around similar to 6,000 BC the sea flooded the old morphological depression eastwards of the settlement (Lambi area) forming a lagoon II) At approximately similar to 5,000 BC the settlement was founded on a small mound westwards of the lagoon which probably served as a harbor III) Around similar to 4,000 BC the lagoon was permanently isolated from the sea and transformed into a marsh with the constant presence of water and IV) Since similar to 4,000 BC the Lambi marsh was gradually transformed into a seasonal marsh. Mikro Vouni, from its foundation until today, for more than 7,000 years has remained unaffected by coastal erosion and sea flooding processes.