Halmyris: Geoarchaeology of a fluvial harbour on the Danube Delta (Dobrogea, Romania)

Research at the Danube Delta reveals that the Roman fortress of Halmyris, established on a pre-existing Getic settlement, was strategically positioned to leverage natural fluvial features for maritime access. A multiproxy study combining sedimentology and palaeoecology identified a secondary channel of the Saint George River, which flowed north of the site from the 7th century BC to the 7th century AD, likely serving as a natural harbor. This finding sheds light on Halmyris' geomorphological advantages, including protection from floods due to its location on a palaeo-cliff top, and enhances understanding of human-environment interactions in deltaic settings over millennia.

Giaime, M., Magne, G., Bivolaru, A., Gandouin, E., Marriner, N., & Morhange, C. (2018). Halmyris: Geoarchaeology of a fluvial harbour on the Danube Delta (Dobrogea, Romania). The Holocene, 29(2), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683618810397