Osservatorio Sismologico University of Messina

Historical sources testify to the flourishing maritime activity at the ancient town of Tindari, mentioning a harbour but not supplying information on its location, size or configuration. Because a town as important as Tindari must have had a landing place for ships, we examined new sources of information with the aim to localize traces of the harbour. Holocene uplifted and submerged notches, identified along the Tindari promontory, and the mooring iron rings, testify to past sea level changes. These elements are used to reconstruct the palaeotopography of Tindari Cape and the Oliveri coastal plain in the 4th century BC. The reconstruction reveals a safe landing place southeast of the Tindari Cape suitably protected from prevailing winds.