Geoecology and archeology of the Northern Black Sea coast and of the adjacent shelf

Abstract

The monograph is devoted to the study on the basis of the geo-ecosystem approach to the analysis of a large original authors’ and published material of some problems of the relationship between marine geoecology and underwater archaeology as a separate component of the science that studies the history of mankind on the basis of underwater discoveries of material remains of its activities as a cultural heritage. Certain attention is paid to modern geophysical methods and technical means of searching for and identifying underwater objects of the cultural heritage of ancient civilizations, predicting the probability of discovering new underwater archaeological artifacts in the coastal zone of the Northern Black Sea and the adjacent shelf. A brief review of current views on some issues of human evolution as a unique living bio-ecological system and, at the same time, a subsystem of complex global systems – the bio-ecosocio-economic system of mankind and the geo-ecological system of our planet. It is shown that the geological structure, morphology, and dynamics of the geological and ecological subsystem of the geo-ecosystem of the Azov-Black Sea basin, as well as climatic fluctuations in the world and the region of research during the Holocene are the main factors that influenced the formation and functioning of the Black Sea geo-ecological system, and, at the same time, the life and settlement of ancient people in this region, as well as their migration beyond its borders. Without understanding the problems addressed in this monograph, including the definition of ways to solve them, it is impossible to provide any rational organization of effective search, identification, and thorough exploration of components of the system of the regional cultural heritage of the Northern Black Sea coastal part of the geo-ecotone “sea-land”. The authors are hopeful that the data presented in this book will contribute to the development of a national strategy for the systematic development of marine geo-ecological and underwater archaeological research, a better understanding of the importance of ecosystem services, the development of a new synthetic direction of the science of geoarchaeology, which in turn will stimulate the development of tourism industry, including underwater archaeological tourism, the growth of economy not only of the coastal regions of Ukraine but also the country as a whole. For marine geo-ecologists, archaeologists, teachers, students and postgraduates of higher educational institutions, self-government bodies of local coastal communities, government decision-makers, and all those who are interested in the cultural heritage of the ancient Black Sea coast, understand the importance of marine sciences, their achievements for the preservation and improvement of the environment, development of culture and economy of people of the coastal countries and humanity at large.