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Rivers have always been vital supports for economies. They provided water for
people and animals, irrigated the land, facilitated communication and trade through
small vessels or rafts, aided industrial activities, formed rich hunting grounds for
fishermen and hunters, and offered raw materials such as sand, gravel and placer
deposits - including even gold. At the same time, the deltas and marshlands of
rivers, created an inhospitable environment unsuitable for habitation, especially in
periods of flood. Furthermore, rivers connected the sea and the littoral zone with
the hinterland, and thus allowed the interaction between the populations which
inhabited these areas, often locals and colonists/merchants. Panels 2.4 and 2.7
explore multiple facets of some Central and Eastern Mediterranean riverlands. Panel
2.4 investigates Aegean Thrace, i.e. the Northeastern part of Greece and the
European part of Turkey. Panel 2.7 looks at three river valleys in two different
areas: Athens and Attica with the Ilissos River; and Northeastern Italy with the
rivers that flow in the areas of Verona and Parma. The papers address topics such as
the reconfiguration of ancient river routes, the settlement and exploitation
patterns that were formed around them, the boundaries of the chora of various
cities, towns, villages and farmsteads, and the communication or the tensions
between different groups that moved or expanded beyond their original habitation
zone due to environmental and/or economic reasons.
