Nick Marriner | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research (original) (raw)

Papers by Nick Marriner

Nature Sustainability, 2024

2024, Anthony E., Syvitski J., Zăinescu F., Nicholls R. J., Cohen K. M., Marriner N., Saito Y., D... more 2024, Anthony E., Syvitski J., Zăinescu F., Nicholls R. J., Cohen K. M., Marriner N., Saito Y., Day J., Minderhoud P. S. J., Amorosi A., Chen Z., Morhange C., Tamura T., Vespremeanu-Stroe A., Besset M., Sabatier F., Kaniewski D., Maselli V., Delta sustainability from the Holocene to the Anthropocene and envisioning the future, Nature Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01426-3.

River deltas offer numerous ecosystem services and host an estimated global population of 350 million to more than 500 million inhabitants in over 100 countries. To maintain their sustainability into the future, deltas need to withstand sea-level rise from global warming, but human pressures and diminishing sediment supplies are exacerbating their vulnerability. In this Review, we show how deltas have served as environmental incubators for societal development over the past 7,000 years, and how this tightly interlocked relationship now poses challenges to deltas globally. Without climate stabilization, the sustainability of populous low-to-mid-latitude deltas will be difficult to maintain, probably terminating the delta–human relationship that we know today.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Apr 10, 2015

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2017

2016, Morhange C., Marriner N., Bony G., Flaux C., Giaime M., Kouka M., Geoarchaeology of ancient... more 2016, Morhange C., Marriner N., Bony G., Flaux C., Giaime M., Kouka M., Geoarchaeology of ancient harbours in lagoonal contexts: an introduction, Journal of Roman Archaeology, supplementary series 104, Fluvial landscapes in the Roman world, T. Franconi (ed.), pp. 97-110. ISBN: 13:978-0-9913730-8-6.

This paper presents the preliminary results of the AMIDEX-GEOMED and COFUND geoarchaeological pro... more This paper presents the preliminary results of the AMIDEX-GEOMED and COFUND geoarchaeological projects investigating ancient sites located on the Danube delta. The study is based on three cores. We compare and contrast bio-sedimentological analyses with archaeological data from two important sites: Histria and Halmyris. The aim of our project is to give a general overview of the environmental evolution and human impact between the Neolithic and the Classical Periods. Our research focuses on human settlement dynamics in relation to the evolution of the geomorphological context. The Danube Delta is a strategic interface, which has always provided access overland, as well as overseas. It is neighbored by the Black Sea to the East and is connected to Central Europe via the Danube valley. This important geographical corridor is essential for understanding the long-term evolution of Balkan civilizations.

E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 2021

Lake Maryut (northwestern Nile Delta, Egypt) was a key feature of Alexandria's hinterland and eco... more Lake Maryut (northwestern Nile Delta, Egypt) was a key feature of Alexandria's hinterland and economy during Greco-Roman times. Its shores accommodated major economic centers, and the lake acted as a gateway between the Nile valley and the Mediterranean. It is suggested that lake-level changes, connections with the Nile and the sea, and possible high-energy events considerably shaped the human occupation history of the Maryut. To reconstruct Lake Maryut hydrology in historical times, we used faunal remains, geochemistry (Sr isotopic signature of ostracods) and geoarcheological indicators of relative lake-level changes. The data show both a rise in Nile inputs to the basin during the first millennia BCE and CE and a lake-level rise of ca. 1.5 m during the Roman period. A high-energy deposit, inferred from reworked radiocarbon dates, may explain an enigmatic sedimentary hiatus previously attested to in Maryut's chronostratigraphy. Kurzfassung: In griechisch-römischer Zeit spielte der Maryut-See (nordwestliches Nil-Delta, Ägypten) eine wirtschaftliche Schlüsselrolle im Hinterland von Alexandria. An seinen Ufern befanden sich wichtige Wirtschaftszentren und der See fungierte als Bindeglied zwischen dem Niltal und dem Mittelmeer. Es ist zu vermuten, dass Schwankungen des Seespiegels, Verbindungen zum Nil und zum Mittelmeer und mögliche Hochenergieereignisse die menschliche Besiedlungsgeschichte des Maryut-Sees beachtlich geprägt haben. Um die Hydrologie des Maryut-Sees in historischer Zeit zu rekonstruieren, untersucht diese Studie Faunenreste, geochemische (Sr-Isotopensignaturen von Ostrakoden) und geoarchäologische Indikatoren, die relative Schwankungen des Seespiegels anzeigen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen sowohl einen Anstieg der Nileinträge in den See während des ersten Jahrtausends v. Chr. und n. Chr. als auch einen Anstieg des Seespiegels um ca. 1,5 m während der Römerzeit. Ein Hochenergieereignis, ausgewiesen durch umgelagerte 14 C Alter, könnte die Ursache eines rätselhaften Hiatus in den Pro-Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the Deutsche Quartärvereinigung (DEUQUA) e.V. 94 C. Flaux et al.: The late Holocene record of Lake Mareotis, Nile Delta, Egypt filen sein, der zuvor in der Chronostratigraphie des Maryut-Sees nachgewiesen wurde. (Abstract was translated by Martin Seeliger.

Méditerranée, 2016

Situated between Europe, the Caucasus and Anatolia, the Black Sea has a length of about 1,150 km ... more Situated between Europe, the Caucasus and Anatolia, the Black Sea has a length of about 1,150 km from west to east and a width of 600 km from north to south. These dimensions yield a total area of around 410,000 km². In a geomorphological sense, the Black Sea is a relatively new entity in that its formation took place at the end of the Wurmian glaciation, when rising sea levels connected the basin to the world ocean. This event, which has attracted significant research interest, is currently ...

Méditerranée, 2016

Situee entre l’Europe, le Caucase et l’Anatolie, la mer Noire presente une longueur d’environ 1 1... more Situee entre l’Europe, le Caucase et l’Anatolie, la mer Noire presente une longueur d’environ 1 150 km d’Ouest en Est pour une largeur de 600 km du nord au sud. Ces dimensions lui conferent ainsi une superficie globale d’environ 410 000 km². Il s’agit d’une creation relativement recente dans la mesure ou sa formation s’avere consecutive a la fin du Wurm, laquelle par l’elevation du niveau marin a permis la connexion de cet espace avec l’ocean mondial. Cet evenement, qui beneficie deja d’une r...

Quaternary Research, 2019

We reconstructed the late Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) evolution of the ancient harbour of N... more We reconstructed the late Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) evolution of the ancient harbour of Naples, one of the largest coastal conurbations in the Mediterranean. We carried out multiproxy investigations, coupling archaeological evidence with biological indicators. Our data robustly constrain 2000 yr of non-monotonic changes in sea level, chiefly controlled by the complex volcano-tectonic processes that characterize the area. Between ~200 BC and AD ~0, a subsidence rate of more than ~1.5 mm/yr enhanced the postglacial RSL rise, while negligible or moderate land uplift < ~0.5 mm/yr triggered a RSL stabilization during the Roman period (first five centuries AD). This stabilization was followed by a post-Roman enhancement of the sea-level rise when ground motion was negative, attested by a subsidence rate of ~0.5 to ~1 mm/yr. Our analysis seems to indicate very minor impacts of this nonmonotonic RSL evolution on the activities of the ancient harbour of Naples, which peaked from t...

Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 2018

Earth-Science Reviews, 2019

The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, ... more The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

Méditerranée, 2016

The temporal and spatial diffusion of early agriculture across Europe from the Fertile Crescent h... more The temporal and spatial diffusion of early agriculture across Europe from the Fertile Crescent has been widely studied, but data from the Caucasian corridor are still rare. This study shows the irst evidence for the cultivation of cereals and anthropogenic ires in southern Russia, between the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, 7000 years ago. It suggests that the Caucasian corridor contributed to the spread of agricultural practices throughout the steppes of Eurasia. This study also shows the strong impact of these practices on the dynamics of local coastal and forested ecosystems.

The Holocene, 2018

Scientific Reports, 2018

The ancient harbour of Pisa, Portus Pisanus, was one of Italy’s most influential seaports for man... more The ancient harbour of Pisa, Portus Pisanus, was one of Italy’s most influential seaports for many centuries. Nonetheless, very little is known about its oldest harbour and the relationships between environmental evolution and the main stages of harbour history. The port complex that ensured Pisa’s position as an economic and maritime power progressively shifted westwards by coastal progradation, before the maritime port of Livorno was built in the late 16th century AD. The lost port is, however, described in the early 5th century AD as being “a large, naturally sheltered embayment” that hosted merchant vessels, suggesting an important maritime structure with significant artificial infrastructure to reach the city. Despite its importance, the geographical location of the harbour complex remains controversial and its environmental evolution is unclear. To fill this knowledge gap and furnish accurate palaeoenvironmental information on Portus Pisanus, we used bio- and geosciences. Base...

Geoarchaeology, 2018

Since the first archaeological excavations undertaken in the 1970's/1980's, Tel Akko is known to ... more Since the first archaeological excavations undertaken in the 1970's/1980's, Tel Akko is known to have been an important trade city from the early 2nd millennium BC onwards. Even if the site has been intensively excavated, no palaeoenvironmental studies looking to understand coastal changes near the tell since the Bronze Age had been undertaken until recently. Our research is based on the study of sedimentological cores drilled at the foot of the tell and in the Old City of Akko, 1500 m west of the tell. We validate the coastal changes, already proposed by previous studies, while clarifying the chronology of these changes. We propose that he southern anchorage was located in the river-dominated mouth of the Na'aman until the early Persian Period. This anchorage shifted to the "open" western coast of the tell during the Persian Period before its subsequent relocation to the rocky promontory of Akko in Hellenistic times. We attempted to locate the Hellenistic harbour of Akko by coring in the Old City, in proximity to the modern harbour. At that time, one harbour was in a semi-protected pocket beach at the foot of the promontory.

Science advances, 2017

From 2000 to 2015, tsunamis and storms killed more than 430,000 people worldwide and affected a f... more From 2000 to 2015, tsunamis and storms killed more than 430,000 people worldwide and affected a further >530 million, with total damages exceeding US$970 billion. These alarming trends, underscored by the tragic events of the 2004 Indian Ocean catastrophe, have fueled increased worldwide demands for assessments of past, present, and future coastal risks. Nonetheless, despite its importance for hazard mitigation, discriminating between storm and tsunami deposits in the geological record is one of the most challenging and hotly contended topics in coastal geoscience. To probe this knowledge gap, we present a 4500-year reconstruction of "tsunami" variability from the Mediterranean based on stratigraphic but not historical archives and assess it in relation to climate records and reconstructions of storminess. We elucidate evidence for previously unrecognized "tsunami megacycles" with three peaks centered on the Little Ice Age, 1600, and 3100 cal. yr B.P. (calibra...

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017

Ancient Alexandria possessed not only an important maritime front but also a long lake waterfront... more Ancient Alexandria possessed not only an important maritime front but also a long lake waterfront on its southern side. This dual waterfront was praised by the ancient geographer Strabo in the first century BCE, because its geomorphological configuration opened Alexandria to Mediterranean trade, and also the Nile delta and Egypt. While the city's maritime palaeogeography has been widely described and studied, Alexandria's lacustrine waterfront has largely been neglected and little is known about its palaeo-geography and archaeology. Here we report the chronostratigraphy of the southern edge of the modern city. Bio-sedimentological analyses of sediment archives allow us to reconstruct the evolution of the depositional environments and palaeogeographies for parts of ancient Alexandria's lacustrine waterfront. The chronological framework spans the last 2000 years. By marrying our data with ancient maps and historical sources, we propose a location for Portus Mareoticus. The lake's geomorphology suggests the presence of three ancient jetties, perpendicular to the shoreline and several hundreds meters long. The occupation of the investigated area began at the end of the first century BCE, linked to Roman domination and probably ended during late Roman times. The waterfront was then disconnected from the city during the 9th century CE, due to the desiccation of Maryut Lake, concomitant with the drying-up of the Canopic branch. Alexandria canal subsequently became the sole waterway linking the city to the Nile. The most western part of the canal, which extended freshwater supply and fluvial navigation down to the western marine harbour of Alexandria, was completed in the 16th century, probably in relation to the development of the marine harbours at the beginning of the Ottoman period. Our research sheds new light on the topography of ancient Alexandria.

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2017

The Roman city of Pollentia was founded on the northeastern coast of Mallorca (Balearic archipela... more The Roman city of Pollentia was founded on the northeastern coast of Mallorca (Balearic archipelago) after the Roman conquest of the island in 123 BC. There is evidence that the city had two harbours, a small harbour located to the north, whereas the main harbour was located to the south of Pollentia. Our study focuses on the southern harbour, on a coastal plain in proximity to the ancient city. Four sedimentary cores were taken and bio-sedimentological analysis were performed. Here, we describe the palaeogeographical changes in this area, evolving from an open lagoon environment between ca. 3200 and ca. 500 cal. years BC to a semi-enclosed lagoon during Roman times. Progressively, the lagoon became silted and was isolated from the sea by the development of a large sand spit, probably during the second half of the first millennium AD. We also discuss the water depth, linked to the palaeo sea level, which is important in defining the possible ancient harbour location. Highlights A lagoon was situated near the city of Pollentia during Roman times. This lagoon probably hosted one of the city's harbours. Chronostratigraphy supports a harbour foundation between 1 st c. BC and the 1 st c. AD. A chronological gap of 1000 years suggests dredging.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2016

Israel, located some 1.5 km east of the present ancient city, have revealed imported artefacts an... more Israel, located some 1.5 km east of the present ancient city, have revealed imported artefacts and evidence for maritime trade dating from the early part of the 2nd millennium BC onwards (Dothan, 1993). These findings strongly support the existence of a harbour (or anchorage) at the site, although its exact location and associated facilities have yet to be elucidated. Sedimentological and palaeontological analyses, together with 14 C dates of cores drilled around Tel Akko, provide new palaeo-environmental information to help to reconstruct shoreline changes during the last ca. 4000 years. First, we propose that the southern facade of the tell constituted the harbour environment, characterised by marine environments until ca. 2800 years BP; the site was protected by a natural rocky breakwater and a sandbar which were silted-up and transformed into a freshwater marsh. This environment might have been used as an anchorage by the tell's inhabitants before the early-1st millennium BC. Secondly, it seems that the eastern side of the tell was flanked by a sandy coast, that had prograded, offering an open anchorage until the Late Persian/Hellenistic period in the southwestern area of the tell. These results are being cross-checked by geophysical surveys, rescue archaeology and should be validated by further archaeological excavations.

Nature Sustainability, 2024

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Apr 10, 2015

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2017

E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 2021

Méditerranée, 2016

Quaternary Research, 2019

Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 2018

Earth-Science Reviews, 2019

Méditerranée, 2016

The Holocene, 2018

Scientific Reports, 2018

Geoarchaeology, 2018

Science advances, 2017

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2017

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2016

Comme l'ont déjà souvent écrit les géographes et les historiens depuis la Renaissance, l'humani... more Comme l'ont déjà souvent écrit les géographes et les historiens depuis la Renaissance, l'humanité exerce son action sur un espace anisotrope, lourd d'héritages. Cet environnement « reçu » est un élément important d'explication de la différenciation spatiale le long des littoraux méditerranéens. Il est le produit à la fois de processus géologiques, géomorphologiques, biologiques et météo-marins et des actions anthropologiques d'aménagement des territoires des générations antérieures. Nous nous proposons dans cette contribution de développer plus précisément cette idée en l'appliquant aux environnements lagunaires depuis 3000 ans.

Nous présenterons plusieurs exemples de travaux (souvent) récents sur différents types de ports lagunaires parfois encore inédits comme le cothon de Lechaion, les ports antiques du lac Mariout en Egypte, le port lagunaire de Cumes, le port d'Orgame du Danube ou les bassins de Kition-Bamboula et Kathari de Chypre...).

Nous développerons les principales questions environnementales en termes de contraintes et de potentialités naturelles qui expliquent la localisation des ports lagunaires qui sont :

•Problème d'accessibilité et de mobilité des graus

•Problème de circulation endolagunaire en relation avec le colmatage rapide de l'espace d'accommodation

•Question des ressources halieutiques spécifiques

•Question de la protection naturelle et des catastrophes...

Sans tomber dans le déterminisme téléologique de l'histoire technologique, cette mise en espace du littoral lagunaire dépend en partie des maîtrises technologiques comme, par exemple, la découverte du ciment hydraulique à l'époque romaine. Nous insisterons donc sur la diversité et la mobilité des contextes physiques et la diversité des aménagements portuaires sur la longue durée.

Au Sud-Est de l'île de Chypre, sur les rives de la baie de Larnaca, ouverte vers le levant, l'ant... more Au Sud-Est de l'île de Chypre, sur les rives de la baie de Larnaca, ouverte vers le levant, l'antique cité de Kition fut fondée au 13ème siècle avant J.-C. Installée sur une ancienne terrasse marine et entourée par un mur d'enceinte cyclopéen, la cité se distingue au Sud-Est (quartier de Bamboula) par la présence d'un port militaire d'époque classique abritant des rampes de hallages très bien préservées (Yon, 2000 ; Morhange et al., 2000 ; Sourisseau et al., 2003). Au Nord de la cité, le quartier de Kathari, situé en face d'une nécropole classique de la ville, abrite une zone de temples ainsi que des ateliers de travail du cuivre. L'organisation interne des ports phéniciens laisse à penser que la cité pouvait abriter un port de commerce éventuellement localisé au pied du quartier de Kathari dans une ancienne petite baie aujourd'hui colmaté. Afin de reconstituer l'évolution paléo-environnementale du littoral dans ce secteur et de comprendre l'organisation de la cité phénicienne, nous avons réalisé une série de 9 carottages répartis dans l'ancienne baie de Kathari. Les résultats bio-sédimentologiques révèlent une mobilité des rivages dictée par les apports sédimentaires fluviaux du Tremithos. Vers le 5ème siècle avant J.-C., des apports sédimentaires grossiers sont responsables de la transformation de la baie de Kathari en un milieu lagunaire, évoluant ensuite progressivement en un marais d'eau douce. Cet environnement lagunaire protégé naturellement par ce cordon de galets a donc favorisé l'installation d'une activité portuaire militaire à Bamboula et probablement commerciale à Kathari.

In Northern Dobrogea, north of the Dunavăţ promontory, the Roman fortress of Halmyris was founded... more In Northern Dobrogea, north of the Dunavăţ promontory, the Roman fortress of Halmyris was founded in the late 1st century on a Getae settlement dated back the middle of the 1st millennium BC. 8000 years ago, the area of the later Danube delta was a vast open marine bay. Since the end of the post-glacial marine transgression, the Danube delta has prograded and divided into several arms, first along the Dunavăţ promontory and then to the north and the south leading to the progressive retreat of the sea. The ancient fortress of Halmyris, the most eastern Roman fortification on the Danube, faces the St. George arm that has been the most active arm of the river during Antiquity. Our chronostratigraphic study was undertaken to: (i) understand landscape changes of the area of the latter Halmyris since ca. 7500 years BP, (ii) identify the fluvial environments close to the city in Roman times in order to locate and characterise the harbour. For this study, several cores were extracted from the Danube delta plain for palaeoenvironmental investigations. Here, we concentrate on the study of bio-sedimentological content of the core HAIII that shows a classic regressive sequence dominated by a marine environment at the base of the core, overlain by fluvial sediments. The progress of the delta front seaward led to the formation of a floodplain from the fifth millennium BC onwards. It was characterized by numerous lakes, attested in the core by large organic-rich peat layers. The Roman harbour was probably installed in a secondary channel of the St. George whose depth was at least 175 cm at the end of the 7th century.