The study of sea-level changes at coastal archaeological sites

Changes in sea levels are a constant process for which confirmations can be found in many geological, geomorphological, biological and ecological indicators, and in numerous archaeological and historical sources. The study of these changes makes it possible to reconstruct coastlines and other geomorphological features of specific coastal landscapes during various periods. Geological, biological, archaeological and other indicators provide data on the relative sea-level changes, i.e., on the interaction between sea and land in specific periods and in specific places. They are the sum of eustatic, tectonic and glacio- and hydro-isostatic factors and, consequently, of global, regional and local phenomena. This work concisely presents the complex topic of sea-level change over the course of the past, with the objective of bringing together all experts who do not directly deal with it but nonetheless encounter this problem during archaeological research at the shoreline and submerged sites.