Scientists have determined that the geography of the northern Adriatic region has undergone significant transformation over the past 10,000 years due to fluctuating sea levels. Researchers from the University of Southampton, led by Samuele Ongaro, utilized seismic data and sedimentary core samples collected from coastal basins in northern Italy, Slovenia, and northern Croatia to reconstruct historical landscape conditions and model regional sea level variations.
The findings, presented in Quaternary Science Reviews, indicate that the Venice lagoon visible today was formerly terrestrial landscape that extended more than 30 miles beyond the current coastline. Similarly, the Trieste area, now positioned along the coast, previously consisted of elevated terrain adjacent to wetland formations and bodies of water.
The research documents a period of rising sea levels that commenced just over 10,000 years ago, occurring in episodic increments rather than as a continuous process. During peak periods, sea levels advanced at rates reaching 25 millimeters annually. These changes drove Mesolithic hunter-gatherer populations inhabiting the region to continually relocate their subsistence activities, adapting their hunting and fishing practices to accommodate the shifting coastal environment. The sea level changes manifested in three prominent phases of advancement, after which the pace of change substantially slowed. Over the past 6,000 years, sea levels have remained comparatively stable, enabling the establishment of permanent human settlements and the emergence of agricultural practices across the landscape.
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