The Fish Tanks of the Mediterranean Sea

Roman fish tanks are found in various coastal regions of the Mediterranean, although the vast majority is found on the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy. In this work, a database was developed with information on 62 fish tanks along the Mediterranean coasts to document and compare their features and characteristics. The analysis of the developed database from the Mediterranean fish tanks has shown that, among the 62 fish tanks, similar to 56% were cut into the rock, indicating that this type of construction was the most popular at that time and probably had advantages over the others. Fish tanks as sea level indicators can provide accurate data on the sea level 2000 years ago. Well-preserved installations with prominent architectural features have a crucial role in determining the paleo sea level. The architectural elements that are mostly used in fish tanks for paleo sea level reconstructions are the crepido, cataractae and channels. Besides the scientific importance of the fish tanks as sea level markers, they also have great cultural and historical significance. Fish tanks can be promoted as heritage monuments and scholarly models to strengthen awareness about climate change, sea level rise and its consequences.

Automated summary

Roman fish tanks are widely distributed in the coastal regions of the Mediterranean, particularly on the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy. A database was developed to document and compare features of 62 fish tanks along the Mediterranean coasts. Analysis of the database showed that 56% of the fish tanks were cut into the rock, indicating their popularity and potential advantages. These fish tanks provide accurate data on the sea level 2000 years ago and play a crucial role in determining paleo sea levels. In addition, they have significant cultural and historical importance and can be used as heritage monuments and scholarly models to raise awareness about climate change and sea level rise.