Sea level changes and past vegetation in the Punic period (5th-4th century BC): Archaeological, geomorphological and palaeobotanical indicators (South Sardinia - West Mediterranean Sea)

The GPS localization of the amphoras shows a distribution according to curved alignments that probably correspond to the shorelines (5th-4th century BC) at - 1.95 ± 10 m and −1.70 ± 10 m. Geomorphological data reveal a sea level rise of about 25 cm during a century, corresponding to 300 m of shoreline regression towards the alluvial plain. With these rapid processes of drowning of the coastal plain, the presence of Punic settlements along the lagoon borders documents the reorganization of commercial and economic activities. This shows the great adaptability of the ancient population to the sea level rise (SLR) and fast-flooding processes of the coastline in a lagoonal area vulnerable to subsidence phenomena.