Coastal Change and Archaeological Settings in Elis John C
Coastal Change and Archaeological Settings in Elis John C. Kraft, George Robert Rapp, John A. Gifford, S. E. Aschenbrenner Hesperia, Volume 74, Number 1, January-March 2005, pp. 1-39 (Article) Published by American School of Classical Studies at Athens For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/182142 No institutional affiliation (15 Jul 2018 21:22 GMT) hesperia 74 (2005) Coastal Change and Pages 1–39 Archaeological Settings in Elis ABSTRACT Since the mid-Holocene epoch, sediments from the Alpheios River in Elis, in the western Peloponnese, have been entrained in littoral currents and depos- ited to form barriers, coastal lagoons, and peripheral marshes. Three major surges of sediment formed a series of barrier-island chains. The sites of Kleidhi (ancient Arene), along a former strategic pass by the sea, and Epitalion (Ho- meric Thryon), built on a headland at the mouth of the Alpheios River, now lie 1 and 5 km inland, respectively, and other ancient sites have been similarly affected. Diversion of the Peneus River has led to cycles of delta progradation and retrogradation that have both buried and eroded archaeological sites. Coastal changes continue in Elis today, resulting in areas of both erosion and deposition. INTRODUCTION Three great sandy strandlines extend for more than 100 km along the coast of Elis in the western Peloponnese, Kiparissia to Katakolon, to Chle- moutsi, to Araxos (Fig. 1). Fed by sediments eroding from the uplands of Elis via the deltas of the Peneus, Alpheios, and Nedon rivers and numer- ous smaller streams, littoral processes have created a sequence of lagoons, marshes, barrier accretion plains, coastal dune fields, swamps, and deltas.
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