Changing environments and human interaction during the Pleistocene–Early Holocene from the shallow coastal area of Dor, Israel

Abstract The protected Tel-Dor coastal embayment in the eastern Mediterranean preserves an unusually complete stratigraphic record that reveals human–environmental interactions throughout Holocene. Interpretation of new seismic profiles collected from shallow marine geophysical transects across bay show five units were correlated with stratigraphy and age dates obtained shallow-marine sediment cores. This framework permits a detailed reconstruction system over last ca. 77 ka as well assessment environmental factors influenced some dimensions past societies. base boreholes records lowstand aeolian deposits overlain by wetland sediments subsequently flooded mid-Holocene transgression. earliest human settlements are submerged Pottery Neolithic (8.25–7 ka) structures tools, found immediately above landward aeolianite ridge at mouth bay. settlement remains buried sand middle Holocene sea-level rise 7.6–6.5 ka. Stratigraphic geographic relationships suggest these communities displaced These findings demonstrate how robust integration different data sets can be used to reconstruct geomorphic evolution settings provide important addition nature human–landscape interaction cultural development.