BRIDGES – The former Sicily-Malta land bridge

Sicily and Malta/Gozo, an area of the central Mediterranean that was completely exposed during the LastGlacial Maximum (LGM, 33 to 18 kyrs BP). This period is defined as the most recent time when continentalice sheets reached their maximum extent and sea level was at its lowest (about -130 m), as evidenced by aimof the survey well-described in the Gaia Blu ship time application.In this project, we aimed to reconstruct the palaeo-geographic configuration of the former land bridge betweensoutheastern numerous proxy records. We planned to collect new high-resolution geophysical data (Multibeamechosounder and high-resolution seismic profiles) and integrate them with advanced Glacial IsostaticAdjustment (GIA) models that simulate the horizontal displacement of coastlines in response to sea level rise.In addition, we planned to conduct laboratory analyses on newly recovered sediment cores, includingradiocarbon measurements on carbonate biogenic fraction, to constrain the position of the paleo-shorelineduring the LGM. Determining the position of the coastline before sea level rise is crucial not only for palaeo-geographic reconstructions but also for underwater archaeology. Numerous studies have shown the existenceof early Palaeolithic coastal communities in the Mediterranean during the LGM and have demonstrated thatthe sea and offshore islands were central to understanding ancient settlement and land use, especially duringperiods of low sea level. The reconstruction of former land bridges and corridors therefore has significantimplications for human settlement, megaherbivore distribution, landscape preferences, and dispersal andexpansion routes from the mainland to distant islands.