Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape

The study presents the changes in coastline, fortification and development of the coastal zone of the “city-peninsula” – the Classical and Hellenistic Mesambrian polis, the provincial-Roman peregrine city and the (early) Byzantine bipolar municipality. The archaeological, geomorphological and histo...

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Main Author: Hristo Preshlenov
Format: Article
Language:Bulgarian
Published: Association of Bulgarian Archaeologists 2023-12-01
Series:Българско е-Списание за Археология
Subjects:
Online Access:https://be-ja.org/index.php/journal/article/view/295
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author Hristo Preshlenov
author_facet Hristo Preshlenov
author_sort Hristo Preshlenov
collection DOAJ
description The study presents the changes in coastline, fortification and development of the coastal zone of the “city-peninsula” – the Classical and Hellenistic Mesambrian polis, the provincial-Roman peregrine city and the (early) Byzantine bipolar municipality. The archaeological, geomorphological and historical data document the dynamics of the regional geo- and hydrocratic relief-forming factors, which determine the formation of the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene terrace complex on/and around the Nesebar Peninsula, and their impact on the creation of the coastal zone. As a result of the negative geodynamic processes and, above all, the destructive sea abrasion and regional seismic activity, which have reworked the sea terrace, formed at 8–15 m and the shelf terrace up to the 4–5th isobath, the following sites and buildings have been brought down and “submerged” into the sea – most of the ancient and medieval fortifications, the northern nave of the basilica “The Holy Mother of God Eleusa”, the church of “St Protomartyr Stephen”, the temple of Zeus and Hera, an early Christian basilica, whose sacred space has been renewed by the church of “St George the Old”, and the ancient theatre. In the second half of the 20th c., the Nesebar Peninsula has acquired the the specific appearance of partite bay-like ingressional shores with a length of 850 m, a width of 300 m and an area of ​​about 24 ha. With the successful completion of the present-day coastal protection activities at the beginning of the 21st c., they areas were “regained”, incl. newly developed cca100 ha, falling within the boundaries and contact zone of the National Archaeological, and Architectural, and Urban Planning Reserve Nesebar – UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
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spelling doaj.art-fc430f4c6bd14d959c6d52957266bae42023-12-29T06:59:14ZbulAssociation of Bulgarian ArchaeologistsБългарско е-Списание за Археология1314-50882023-12-0113210.57573/be-ja.13.233-272Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscapeHristo Preshlenov0Department of Classical Archaeology, National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Saborna Str., 1000 Sofia The study presents the changes in coastline, fortification and development of the coastal zone of the “city-peninsula” – the Classical and Hellenistic Mesambrian polis, the provincial-Roman peregrine city and the (early) Byzantine bipolar municipality. The archaeological, geomorphological and historical data document the dynamics of the regional geo- and hydrocratic relief-forming factors, which determine the formation of the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene terrace complex on/and around the Nesebar Peninsula, and their impact on the creation of the coastal zone. As a result of the negative geodynamic processes and, above all, the destructive sea abrasion and regional seismic activity, which have reworked the sea terrace, formed at 8–15 m and the shelf terrace up to the 4–5th isobath, the following sites and buildings have been brought down and “submerged” into the sea – most of the ancient and medieval fortifications, the northern nave of the basilica “The Holy Mother of God Eleusa”, the church of “St Protomartyr Stephen”, the temple of Zeus and Hera, an early Christian basilica, whose sacred space has been renewed by the church of “St George the Old”, and the ancient theatre. In the second half of the 20th c., the Nesebar Peninsula has acquired the the specific appearance of partite bay-like ingressional shores with a length of 850 m, a width of 300 m and an area of ​​about 24 ha. With the successful completion of the present-day coastal protection activities at the beginning of the 21st c., they areas were “regained”, incl. newly developed cca100 ha, falling within the boundaries and contact zone of the National Archaeological, and Architectural, and Urban Planning Reserve Nesebar – UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. https://be-ja.org/index.php/journal/article/view/295Nesebarmarine archaeologysea levelabrasioncoastal areaconstruction and strengthening
spellingShingle Hristo Preshlenov
Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
Българско е-Списание за Археология
Nesebar
marine archaeology
sea level
abrasion
coastal area
construction and strengthening
title Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
title_full Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
title_fullStr Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
title_full_unstemmed Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
title_short Mesambria Pontica – coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
title_sort mesambria pontica coevolution of maritime community and coastal landscape
topic Nesebar
marine archaeology
sea level
abrasion
coastal area
construction and strengthening
url https://be-ja.org/index.php/journal/article/view/295
work_keys_str_mv AT hristopreshlenov mesambriaponticacoevolutionofmaritimecommunityandcoastallandscape