Geoarcheological investigations on the development of the Neva River delta (Gulf of Finland) during the Holocene

The article is devoted to the formation of the Neva River in the context of geoarcheological investigations carried out on the archeological site Okhta 1, which is located at the mouth of the Okhta River in the St. Petersburg city region (NW Russia). The site is multilayered and includes cultural layers from the Neolithic, Early Metal Age, Iron Age, and the Landskrona 13th century and Nienschanz 17th century fortresses. The Neva River's formation has long been a controversial question. The transgression of Ladoga Lake around 5950-2950 cal BP had an effect on the formation of the Neva River. By reviewing the complex investigations of the deposits and artifacts by geological and archeological methods, we may reconstruct the developmental stages of the Litorina Sea Bay and Neva River delta in this area. The formation of delta river sediments occurred from 3589 to 3078 cal BP. The end of the delta river formation can be associated with the appearance of ancient Early Iron Age people in the region in 2750-2350 cal BP.