Sea level changes in Lycia region and their effect to ancient port cities

Geological-tectonic-geoarchaeological researches in sea level changes on Mediterranean coasts and these changes' physical effects on coastal areas have been made from past to present. Although at the ancient age many settlements as Phaselis, Olympos, Myra, Kekova, Patara etc. and their harbor structures are established near the sea coast, today they are mostly under water (sunken city). It is obvious that the physical changes that big till ancient ages to now, were much more bigger size at expanded geological times zone. There are many parameters about the sea level changes and their physical effects on coastal areas. But their most important respond is the active tectonic movements and destroying earthquakes. In this study, areas geological-geomorphological features has been used, archaeological researches have been made in ancient harbor cities as Andriake, Patara, Phaselis, Kekova which sited in West Mediterranean Region. In this study the datas that achieved from the excavations before have been used. Also in this study drawn benefit from some ancient author's as Strabonn's manuscripts about region geography, the reasons and outcomes of the sea level changes on West Mediterranean Region are tried to enlightened by geological and archaeometric datas obtained today. On the other hand present and ancient ages' sea levels are compared to each other, in the light of the foregoing determined that the sea level changes made important destruction on the ancient cities. Ancient ports' geomorfological structure and coastal formation during the ancient process are tried to enlightened on the account of Earthquakes, volcanic activities on the near islands, plate movements and climate events. With this study, in light of geology-archaeology-geoarchaeology datas, sea level changes have been occur of tectonic reasons and results are mentioned in West Mediterranean ancient ports. Natural disasters, plate movements and river flows' effects on ancient cities are analyzed. Datas from ancient cities are compared. For example as in present some parts of Kekova are under water Patara Harbor is filled with alluvium. With this study West Mediterranean shorelines preassessments will be made by benefiting from the geological and archaeological datas of the site.