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Geomorphological dynamics in a rising sea: reconstructing the stratigraphy of the submerged Neolithic site of Atlit-Yam

Vishal Kataria(1)*, David E. Friesem(2,3,4), Gilad Shtienberg(5), Isaac Ogloblin Ramirez(2,6,7), Roni Zukerman-Cooper(2), Nimer Taha(1), Elle Grono(2), Marko Runjajić(2), Ehud Galili(2,8), Nicolas Waldmann(1)

(1) The Dr. Moses Strauss Department of Marine Geosciences, Leon H.Charney School of marine sciences. University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838

(2) Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa, Israel

(3) Other Institute (insert manually)

(4) Other Institute (insert manually)

(5) Other Institute (insert manually)

Other Institute (insert manually)

Other Institute (insert manually)

(3)Haifa Center for Mediterranean History, University of Haifa, 199 Abba Khoushy Ave Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. Zip code: 3103301 (4)Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street CB2 3DZ Cambridge, United Kingdom (5)Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability, Qualcomm Institute, University of California San Diego, 3195 Voigt Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA (6)Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, Ruth Adams Building, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA (7)Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behavior, University of Algarve, Portugal (8)The Zinman Institute for Archaeology, University of Haifa, 199 Abba Khoushy Ave Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. Zip code: 3103301

During the early Holocene, rapid sea level rise led to the inundation of worldwide coastal areas, with the surrounding shallow landscapes being the most affected. The Carmel coast, located in the East Mediterranean, preserves a rich record of such a submerged landscape dotted by many archaeological sites, including the well-preserved Atlit-Yam village (Neolithic), which is currently buried and submerged at 8-11 m water depth. In order to reconstruct the geomorphological evolution of the submerged landscape, 23 sediment cores of variable length (ranging 60-240 cm) were drilled both inside and outside the known extent of the Atlit-Yam village. A detailed stratigraphy of the submerged landscape was generated based on the analysis of 18 out of 23 cores, framed by robust radiocarbon ages. The sedimentary sequences identified in the analyzed cores were defined by respective facies associations, and combined with physical (grain size, magnetic susceptibility), chemical (elemental geochemistry), and organic (total organic content) properties of the sediments. Our analysis reveals a non-uniform evolution of submerged coastal sediments, influenced by sediment supply, regional geomorphology, and human activity. Within a spatial stratigraphy, we found distinct anthropogenic units that underlines the intricate balance between humans and the Early Holocene changing environment (including sea level rise, depositional processes, and sediment dynamics). This study holds implications for future research in identifying and preserving potential archeological sites elsewhere and helps to shed light on the impact of climate change, sea level, and surface processes on coastal communities.

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