PN-III-P1-1.1.-TE-2016-1750, UEFISCDI Financing
This is a geoarchaeological project which is aimed at reconstructing navigable waterways and harbours locations in relation with the natural landscape dynamics and their influence on human settlements from Danube delta over different historical periods since the Antiquity (7th c. BCE) to late Medieval Age (16th c. CE). This is a challenging research subject as ancient settlements and their environs have experienced major paleogeographical transformations driven by (i) the progradation of the Danube delta and subsequent delta plain changes, (ii) fluctuations of local water level associated with neotectonics, and (iii) human impact on the ecosystems. Notwithstanding, a whole paraphernalia of artifacts and ancient written sources served as proxies for numerous hypotheses formulation referring to ancient harbours locations without any in situ validation, yet. At the other hand, the impressive scientific progress recently made in characterizing the sedimentologic signature of harbours settings together with the recent revival of the scientific interest in Danube delta evolution and related knowledge progress prepared the ground for this geoarchaeological study which the first largely conceived as a systematic analysis of deltaic dynamics and human adaptation with specific focus on tracking navigable waterways during different historic periods (i.e. Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Genovese and Ottoman). This issue is for the first time multidisciplinary approached, integrating geoscientific and archaeological methods in order to address the following objectives: (i) testing the existing hypotheses with reference to harbours locations in the Danube delta; (ii) identifying the ancient navigable routes and their changes in time; (iii) assessing the impact of navigation routes and harbours changes on human settlements evolution.
List of publications
Papers:
- Țuțuianu, L., Vespremeanu-Stroe A., Pendea, F., Sava, T., 2018. Mid and Late Holocene evolution of Brateș Lake region (Danube Floodplain) based on multiproxy analyses. Revista de Geomorfologie, 20: 43-55.
- Preoteasa, L. 2019. Morphological changes in the proximity of the Greek colonies founded along the western (Romanian) Black Sea coast: Orgame, Histria, Tomis, and Kallatis. Revista de Geomorfologie 21: 15-28.
- Preoteasa, L., Vespremeanu-Stroe, A., Dan, A., Țuțuianu, L., Panaiotu, C., Stoica, M., Sava, T., Iancu, L., Stanică, A., Zăinescu, F., Mirea, D., Olteanu, D. Pupim, F. Landscape evolution and human presence in the northern Danube delta (Chilia lobes) The Holocene, submitted.
- Țuțuianu, L., Vespremeanu-Stroe, A., Preoteasa, L., Rotaru, S., Sava, T., Dimofte, D., accepted for publication. Wetlands and Lakes Formation and Evolution on the Lower Danube Floodplain during Mid and Late Holocene, Quaternary International.
- Preoteasa, L., Hanganu, D., Vespremeanu-Stroe, A., Dan, A., Florescu, G, Sava, G., Pascal, D., Olteanu, D, Stănică, A., Paleoecological data and historical evidence document Chilia foundation and its role in social economic activity at the mouths of the Danube in the Medieval Ages, Journal of Archaeological Science, submitted
- Dan, A., Preoteasa, L., Vespremeanu-Stroe, A., Thiagola-Stenostoma: new identifications of ‘Sarmatian’, Greek and Roman hydronyms in Northern Danube Delta, Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia, submitted
PhD theses
Țuțuianu, L., Holocene evolution of the Danubes Lower Valley between Brăila and Ceatal Izmail (due in 2021)
Zăinescu, F., Fluvio -marine interactions and sediment dynamics in river mouth areas (accomplished in December 2019)
TE 110/2018: Staff list
- Luminița PREOTEASA: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luminita_Preoteasa2
- Alfred VESPREMEANU-STROE: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfred_Vespremeanu-Stroe
- Anca DAN: http://www.archeo.ens.fr/spip.php?article335&lang=fr
- Laurențiu ȚUȚUIANU
- Florin TĂTUI: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Florin_Tatui
- Liviu IANCU
- Florin ZĂINESCU https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Florin_Zainescu
Scientific reports
