Inquadramento geomorfologico del territorio cervese

This paper summarises existing knowledge on the geomorphological characteristics of the municipal territory of Cervia and their role in shaping long-term settlement dynamics. This review highlights the long-term relative stability of both the coastline and the inner alluvial plain, contrasted with the pronounced dynamism of the retrodunal depressed belt, where long-lived lagoonal environments created highly favourable conditions for salt exploitation. The paper also stresses the relevance of the ongoing geoarchaeological investigations carried out within the framework of the Archeologia a Cervia project (2019–present), which are providing new data for areas previously lacking geological and stratigraphic information, particularly across the Salina di Cervia, with a specific focus on the site of Cervia Vecchia.