CHELLI A., FEDERICI P. R. & PAPPALARDO M.
Geomorphological and archaeological evidence of roman times shoreline in the La Spezia Gulf – Evidenze geomorfologiche ed archeologiche di una linea di riva di età romana nel Golfo di La Spezia
Pages 97-103
Abstract
Two sites in the western promontory of La Spezia Gulf are illustr ated in which the ident ification of a shor eline slightly lower than pre sentday is possible. Th ey are the archaeological site of Varignano Cove, a rural settlement of Roman Times where drainage channels in connection with a dock were identified and a cave in Palmaria Island (Riparo del Pozzale), in which a beach deposit was found in a pit 60 em below present -day sea level. For both sites chronological attribution is discussed but we particularly focus , for each type of mark er , on the sea-level indication and on the error associated to it. Available dat a point to a position of the 2,100 B.P. shoreline not higher than 415 em below present-day sea level. This is consistent with a moderate uplift rate , testifying the general tectonic stability of the area in the upper part of the Holocene. Th e most recent tectonic behaviour of the area is comp arable with what is known to be the crustal displ acement trend in the area in the past 125,000 years