Alluvial fan development mirrors settlement dynamics in the peri-urban surroundings of ancient Pergamon, western Türkiye

Intensified human activities during the Roman Imperial period in the peri-urban surroundings of ancient Pergamon triggered significant sediment dynamics, leading to the burial of the Bakırçay alluvial plain by the prograding Araplı alluvial fan. This study identifies distinct phases of landscape development using sediment cores from the Araplı alluvial fan, analyzed through macroscopic and geochemical methods alongside radiocarbon dating. The research reveals that while the Early Holocene period was characterized by a floodplain with seasonal water bodies, human activities during the Roman Imperial period likely increased soil erosion, altering sediment deposition patterns more prominently in peri-urban areas compared to rural regions. This finding underscores the local variability of sediment dynamics in response to historical transformations, mirroring modern-day land degradation trends.

Starke, J., Doğan, M., Ludwig, B., Nykamp, M., Schütt, B., & Becker, F. (2025). Alluvial fan development mirrors settlement dynamics in the peri-urban surroundings of ancient Pergamon, western Türkiye. Mediterranean Geoscience Reviews, 7(4), 827–853. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42990-025-00180-8