10. Arkeometri Sonuçları Toplantısı - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

from its widest expanse opposite Gafurdamı to its narrowest at Cape Anamuritself (Alavi et al., 1989, Fig. 4). A fıırther factor inhibiting thebuild-up of sediment in front of Anemurium is the behaviour of the wellknownAsia Minor current in the Easterrı Mediterranean. This fiows atthe rim of the shelf in a westerly direction. At the same time it also tendsto create counter-currents and whirlpools in proximity to rocky promontoriessuch as Cape Anamur, thus isolating and blocking the inshorecurrents fiowing along the coast, These factors account for the very gradualway in which the wide gravel and sand beach along the shore at Anemuriumhas formed over the centuries.Only in recent decades has the process of beach forination been reversed.Whether or not any of this can be attributed to absolute change insea-Ievel, a phenomenon noted in other oceans and seas since the nineteenthcentury (Kunz, 1993), is uncertain, since no long-term measurementsof sea-level exist for the coast at Anamur. In any case the effects ofany global rise in sea-Ievel would be minuscule compared to recent humanintervention. There can be no doubt that the extractiorı of erıormousquantities of gravel and sand since 1960 is the principal cause of the erosionthat has accelerated since that date. In one single generation thecharacter of this stretch of shore has suffered a far more dramatic transformatianthan in the many centııries that it has taken this beach to form,Unfortunately, the cessation of exeavation has neither reversed nor evenhalted the speed of erosion at Anemuriurn, The damage continues unabated,with imminent threat to the existence of ancient stnıctures alongthe shore. Only a well planned, and probably costly, programme of countermeasuresis likely to reverse the damaging process set in train by improvidenthuman activity and lax regulation in the pası. This will requirea determined exercise of political will on the part of the several authoritiesresponsible for the protection of a major ancient site on one of themost beautiful beaches of this part of Turkey.REFERENCESALAY! S.N.. EDIGER V. und ERGIN M.. 1989. Rccent sedimcntation on the shclf and uppcrslopc İn the Bay of Anamur. southern coast of Turkey. Marine Geofogy 89, 29-56.BEAUFüRT. F.. 1812. Anclıorages on ıııe 50[(111 Coast of Turkey. H.M. Hydrographic Office,Taunton. Gl. Britain. Prcliminary Chart 241. rcvised 1959.KUNZ H.. 1993. Coastal protcction responscs to sea lcvcl rise and lo changing social needs. Cascstudy Ley Bay. southeni North Sen, Gerınany. Proceedings (!{ the First InternationalConference on the Mediıerranean Coastal Environnıenı. Novcnıbcr 2-5, Antalya, Turkey.1059-1073143