Resilience of Ancient Coastal Communities. Multidisciplinary investigations into the human settlement of the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf between the 6th century BC and the 10th century AD, the climatic and environmental changes in the area and the reciprocal influences on the relationship between man and the environment. Resilienza di antiche comunità costiere. Indagini multidisciplinari sull'insediamento umano della costa iraniana del Golfo Persico tra il VI secolo a.C. e il X secolo d.C., i cambiamenti climatici e ambientali nella zona e le reciproche influenze sul rapporto tra uomo e ambiente.

The aim of the project is to examine the possible dynamics of growth and decline of the various settlements, especially those linked to maritime activities, along the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD, in the light of the possible environmental, territorial and climatic changes that the research will be able to identify. The project therefore also aims to examine how man was able to adapt to the climatic and environmental conditions of the Persian Gulf, and in some way to overcome this conditioning by using traditional skills, especially for freshwater management. MUR - BANDO 2022 Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca The originality of the project derives from its objective and methodological approach. It aims to understand the importance of the economic needs linked to trade, the political events and decisions of the various dynasties, but also the changes in environmental conditions, from geological to climatic, in the settlement of the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf, which has never before been studied in a comprehensive manner. The project is characterised by a strong interdisciplinary approach, using an investigation based on archaeology and archaeometry, as well as on environmental sciences, primarily geomorphology. The two lines of research, "Man" and "Environment", work in parallel to achieve a methodologically sound reconstruction of the relationship between environmental conditions and human settlement, in a region with peculiar environmental characteristics and in a diachronic perspective. Archaeological research will make it possible to ensure that all the information, including that on the "environment" line, has a chronological context and a link to the various historical situations. The Project intends to verify the often invoked relationship between the emergence, decline and abandonment of numerous settlements and changes in environmental conditions, which can actually be attributed to geological events or climatic changes, but also to the consequences of incorrect human intervention in the environment. This explanation may not be reflected in environmental research and may be linked to administrative and political reasons, or economic reasons due to the role of ports in the region. Therefore, only an overall framing of the two areas in this multidisciplinary and then interdisciplinary perspective can prevent simple hypotheses from being used to advance other hypotheses. The Project, which constitutes an enrichment in line with what is stated in the National Research Plan (PNR) in Area 5.5.2 Climate change, mitigation and adaptation, also makes a historical contribution to Component 4 of Mission 2 of the National Resilience and Recovery Plan (PNRR), and specifically to Investment 3.3, priority objective i) to increase the level of awareness of climate change scenarios and their consequences, in the global and international perspective that according to the PNR must characterise the study of climate change.