Human impact on Holocene sediment dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean – the example of the Roman harbour of Ephesus

A multi-proxy analysis of the Roman harbour and canal at Ephesus (western Turkey) reveals that human activities, particularly deforestation, agriculture, and grazing, significantly accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation over the last three millennia. Starting in the 8th century BCE, but intensifying during the Hellenistic/Roman period (2nd/1st centuries BCE to 6th/7th centuries CE), these processes led to rapid alluviation and delta progradation of the Küçük Menderes River, causing severe siltation of the harbour basin. This sediment trap also records heightened heavy metal contamination (lead and copper) and traces of fruit tree pollen and intestinal parasites, reflecting increased human impact during Ephesus' peak prosperity. After the 1st millennium CE, declining influence reduced this effect, mirroring trends observed in other ancient Mediterranean settlements where human activity overwhelmed climatic influences during their most flourishing periods.

Stock, F., Knipping, M., Pint, A., Ladstätter, S., Delile, H., Heiss, A. G., Laermanns, H., Mitchell, P. D., Ployer, R., Steskal, M., Thanheiser, U., Urz, R., Wennrich, V., & Brückner, H. (2016). Human impact on Holocene sediment dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean – the example of the Roman harbour of Ephesus. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 41(7), 980–996. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3914