The late Holocene record of Lake Mareotis, Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract. 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, the lake acted as gateway between valley Mediterranean. It is suggested that lake-level changes, connections with sea, possible high-energy events considerably shaped human occupation history Maryut. To reconstruct hydrology in historical times, we used faunal remains, geochemistry (Sr isotopic signature ostracods) geoarcheological indicators relative changes. The data show both rise inputs to basin first millennia BCE CE ca. 1.5 m Roman period. A deposit, inferred from reworked radiocarbon dates, may explain an enigmatic sedimentary hiatus previously attested Maryut's chronostratigraphy.