A reconstruction of the pre-8th century B.C. palaeotopography of Central Corinth, Greece

The pre-8th century B.C. palaeotopography of the center of Corinth, southern Greece, was reconstructed using a combination of geological and geomorphological observation and archaeological evidence. Preserved areas of calcrete and overlying calcareous soil, which represent surviving remnants lying close to the pre-8th century B.C. land surface, were mapped. The geology of the site was also mapped. The topography of Corinth in pre-8th century B.C. times was radically different from that observed today. Most topographic modification occurred as a result of quarrying from a line of Pleistocene oolitic sand dunes for construction-stone during antiquity. The reconstruction presented differs in key respects from previously published palaeotopographies, which did not include geological evidence. The results of the new reconstruction illustrate the importance of combining geological, geomorphological, and archaeological evidence and have implications for the urban development of Corinth in post-8th century B.C. times.