Aftermath of the flooding : geomorphological evolution of the Danube delta after the black sea-mediterranean reconnection and its implications on eneolithic settlements

International audience; In this article we document the evolution of the internal area of the Danube Delta (i.e. the blocked delta) starting from the geo-archaeological and geomorphological investigations performed at Mila 23 district, following the discovery of the oldest human settlement in the Delta. The in-site and out-site field work and coring allowed us to specify the delta's early stages of evolution from 5600 to 4000 CAL BC. During this period, the site evolves as a freshwater bay-head delta flowing into a huge lagoon isolated from the open sea by Letea-Caraorman spits. The rapid sedimentation rate in the lagoon is interpreted as a response to base-level rise and overflooding as a result of humid conditions during 6-5 ky RCC, leading to the partial submersion of the site and probably to its abandonment around 4450 CAL BC.