GEOMYTHOLOGICAL APPROACH OF ASOPOS RIVER (AEGINA, GREECE)


I. Mariolakos
D. Theocharis
Résumé
In Greek Mythology rivers are, with some exceptions, Gods and they were “born” by the Titans, Oceanus and Tethys. The River Gods are also considered to have given birth to some Islands. Amongst them Asopos River has the most important position as he is considered to have given birth to Aegina, Salamis, Euboea and some other islands as well. The myth of Asopos River is remarkable because it is a typical case where the physical-geological evolution allows us to explain the myth, and at the same time, the myth lets us to give an explanation about the diachronic route of Asopos riverbed, especially during the crucial period between 18,000 to 6,000 BP. The area, known as Saronic Gulf today, used to partly be land, including a great lake, the Epidaurus Paleolake, until 13,000 BP. Asopos River, nowadays known as “Rema tis Skotinis”, is located on Aegina island. In this paper we are trying to investigate whether Asopos River was flowing either into the Epidaurus Paleolake or into the Saronic Paleogulf.
Article Details
  • Rubrique
  • Geoarchaeology
Téléchargements
Les données relatives au téléchargement ne sont pas encore disponibles.
Références
Chappel, J. & Shackleton, N., 1986. Oxygen isotopes and sea level. Nature, 324, pp. 137-140.
Dietrich, V., Gaitanakis, P., Mercolli, I. & Oberhansli, R. 1991. Geological map of Greece, Aegina island,
:25000. IGME – Foundation Vulkaninstitut Immanuel Friedlander.
Duff, D., 1993. Holme’s Principles of Physical Geology. Chapman & Hall, p.791.
Emiliani, C., 1971. The last interglacial: Paleotemperatures and Chronology. Science, 171, pp. 571-3.
Fairbridge, R.W., 1961. Eustatic changes in sea level. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 4, 99-185.
Jinsun JI, Nicole Petit-Maire & Zhongwei Yan., 1993. The last 1000 Years climatic change in arid Asia
and Africa. Global and Planetary Change, 7, pp. 203-210.
Kakridis, Ι., 1986. Greek Mythology. Ekdotiki Athinon Publications (in Greek).
Kraft, J.C., Aschenbrenner, S.E. & Rapp, G.Jr., 1977. Palaeogeographic reconstructions of coastal Aegean
archaeological sites. Science, 195, 941-947.
XLIII, No 2 – 827
Kraft, J. C., Belknap, D.F. & Demarest, J.M., 1985. Geological studies of coastal change applied to archaeological
settings. In: Archaeological Geology, Ed. G. RAPP and J.A.GIFFORD, Yale University Press.
Lambeck, K., 1996. Sea-level change and shore-line evolution in Aegean Greece since Upper Paleolithic
time. Antiquity, 70, 588-611.
Likousis, V. & Anagnostou, Ch., 1992. Sedimentological and paleogeographical evolution of Saronic Gulf
and the end of Quaternary period. Bul. of the Geol. Soc. of Greece, Vol. XXVIII/1, 501-510, (in Greek).
Mariolakos, I., 1998. The geomythological geotope of Lerni Springs (Argolis, Greece). Geologica Balcanica,
3-4, 101-108.
Mariolakos, I., 2002. The geo-environmental dimension of Greek mythology. Bull. of the Geol. Soc. of
Greece, vol. XXXIV/6, 2065-2086 (in Greek).
Mariolakos, I. & Stiros, S., 1987. Quaternary deformation of the Isthmus and Gulf of Corinthos (Greece).
Geology, 15, 225-8.
Mariolakos, I., & Theocharis, D., 2003. Asopos river and the creation of Aegina and Salamis Islands (Saronic
Gulg, Greece). A geomythological approach. In: The Mediterranean World Environment and
History (editor: Eric Fouache), Elsevier Publication, Paris 2003, p. 301-307
Milankovitch, M., 1941. Kanon der Erdbestrahlung und seine Anwendung auf dem Eiszeitenproblem.
Royal Serbian Sciences, Spec. Publ. 132, Section of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, V. 33, Belgrade,
p.
Mörner, N.A., 1971. Eustatic changes during the last 20000 years and a method of separating the isostatic and
eustatic factors in an uplifted area. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 19, 63-65.
Mörner, N.A., 1976. Eustasy and geoid changes. Journal of Geology, v. 84, No 2,. 123-151.
Paepe, R. & Mariolakos, I., 1984. Paleoclimatic reconstruction in Belgium and in Greece based on Quaternary
lithostratigraphic sequences. Proc. E.C. Climatology Programe Symposium, Sophia Antipolis,
France, 2-5 October 1984.
Paepe, R., 1986. Landscape changes in Greece as a result of changing climate during the quaternary. In:
Desertification in Europe, Eds. R. FAΝTECHI and N. MARGARIS. D. RIEDEL Pub. Co.
Paepe, R. & Overloop, v.E., 1989. River and soils cyclicities interfering with sea level changes. In: Greenhouse
Effect, Sea Level and Drought, Eds.: R. PAEPE, et al., NATO ASI Series, Series C, V. 325, pp. 253-280.
Papanikolaou, D., Lykoysis, V., Chronis, G. & Pavlakis, P., 1988. A comparative study of neotectonic
basins across the Hellenic arc: the Messiniakos, Argolikos, Saronikos and Southern Evoikos Gulfs.
Basin Research, 1, pp. 167-176.
Pausanias. Greek travel - Attica. Ekdotiki Athinon Publications, Athens 1999 (in Greek).
Philippson, A., 1892. Der Peloponnes. Berlin.
Pope, K. & Van Andel, Tj. H., 1984. Late Quaternary alluviation’s and soil formation in the southern Argolid:
its history, causes and archaeological implications. Journal of Archaeological Science, 11, pp. 281-306.
Ranke-Graves, R. von, 1955. Griechische Mythologie. Quellen und Deutung, Rowolts Deutsche Enzyclopadie,
B 2.
Rapp, G. & Gifford, J.A., 1982. Troy. The Archaeological Geology. Supplementary Monograph 4, University
of Cincinnati, Princeton University Press.
Roberts, N., 1989. The Holocene. An Environmental History. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
Schwarz, L. M. & Tziavos, CH., 1975. Sedimentary provinces of the Saronic Gulf system. Nature, 257,
pp. 573-575.
Vita-Finzi, C., 1969. The Mediterranean Valleys. Cambridge University Press.
Zangger, E., 1991. Prehistoric Coastal Environments in Greece. The vanished Landscapes of Dimini Bay
and Lake Lerna. J. Field A., 18, 1-15.
Articles les plus lus par le même auteur ou la même autrice