Taken from the sea, reclaimed by the sea: The fate of the closed harbour of Elaia, the maritime satellite city of Pergamum (Turkey)

During Hellenistic times, when the Pergamenian kingdom was prospering, Pergamum was operating an important harbour, used by merchants and military at the city of Elaia. This paper focuses on the development, utilisation and decay of the closed harbour of Elaia, which is discussed in the context of the landscape evolution of the environs of the ancient settlement. Based on geoarchaeological, archaeological and literary evidence, the construction of two harbour moles in order to provide shelter against wave action and enemies can be attributed to the early Hellenistic period. Geoelectric measurements revealed the construction profile of the moles. Coring evidence indicated that together with mole construction, a greater area of the formerly shallow marine and sublittoral terrain was consolidated, most probably to create space for harbour installations. The closed harbour basin was used intensely during Hellenistic and Roman times. Later, continued siltation hindered further usage. In combination with the decline of the city of Elaia in Late Antiquity, this was the reason why the harbour was abandoned. Scenarios for the time of the maximum transgression of the sea around 2500 BC, the early Hellenistic times around 300 BC, and Late Antiquity AD 500, are presented.