An Under-Recognised Geoarchaeological Heritage Asset in Turkey: Dana Island, Mersin

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Erginal A. E., Öniz H., Erenoğlu O., Sarıaltun S.

Geoheritage, cilt.13, sa.4, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 13 Sayı: 4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2021
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12371-021-00618-z
  • Dergi Adı: Geoheritage
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Geobase
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Dana Island, Eolianite, Geoarchaeological heritage, Rough Cilicia, Shipyard, Turkey
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Carbonate eolianites on Turkey’s 8333-km long coastline are extremely rare occurrences. Following pioneering studies at Bozcaada Island and Şile on the Aegean and Black Sea coasts, respectively, a new eolian geosite was recently found on Dana Island, an archaeological conservation area on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The eolianite, which was probably formed in a warm interglacial phase during Late Quaternary, is biogenic calcarenite in composition and contains a thick paleosol and well-preserved rhizoliths as root cast structures. As well as being a geological inheritance, the fact that eolianites are interbedded with very rare hard carbonate-cemented slope debris (colluvium) and both units are home to possibly the largest rock-cut ancient shipyard in the Eastern Mediterranean makes the island a unique geoarchaeological example with immense potential. These geological and archaeological heritage elements on Dana Island are sufficient evidence to identify the eolianites as a geoarchaeological heritage.