| 초록 |
Cemented dune deposits (aeolianites) controlled by regional climatic conditions have been formed on several coastal areas during the Quaternary. On the coastal zone of southern Cyprus, Pleistocene coastal aeolianites occur as isolated erosional patches, representing an indicator of sea-level and climate changes of great palaeoenvironmental significance. They are typically composed of fine to medium grained sands showing cross-bedding and representing a mixture of variable calcareous and siliclastic detritus. In addition to the palaeoenvironmental interest, the coastal areas of southern Cyprus are of great archeological significance. Archeological surveys (e.g., Bar-Yosef, 2001; Galili et al., 2004) have identified human activity, the oldest of which date back to the Upper Paleolithic-Mesolithic period, while systematic habitation appears to occur in subsequent periods. Archeological findings have been found, among others and in the aforementioned geological deposits (Galili et al., 2004; Kuijt, 2004; Ammerman, 2010; Ammerman et al., 2006; Knapp, 2010). The study of the chronological framework of the sedimentary formations containing archeological traces and their sedimentological characteristics can provide an excellent opportunity to decipher the palaeoenvironmental regime in which prehistoric activity in southern Cyprus took place. The purpose of this research work is to examine the chronology of aeolianite deposits of southeast Cyprus and provide preliminary comments on the late Quaternary environmental change by employing up-to-date luminescence dating methods. Also, the purpose of this study is to examine the composition, (using X-ray Diffraction (XRD)) and analyze the microtextures and micromorphology of quartz grains of coastal dunes from SE Cyprus, in order to determine their depositional history. |
