Lake Voulkaria

Lake Voulkaria (called lake Myrtuntium by Strabo) is located northly at the isthmus between Plagia and Acarnania. The plain on the isthmus, stretching from west coast to south coast, is only a few meters above sea level. It seems likely that the isthmus once formed the bottom of the Ionean sea, giving way to Cleopatra. Strabo mentioned that Lake Voulkaria was a saltwater lake so, it must have been a part of the Ionean sea and over time reduced into a salt water reservoir.

But there's just one problem.

Researchers found out that lake Voulkaria has been a freshwater lake since the 9th millennium BC. Geo-archaeologist A. Vött, summerizes the findings in the introduction of the paper "The Lake Voulkaria paleoenvironmental archive - a sedimental trap for multiple tsunami impact since the mid-Holocene":

Lake Voulkaria was a freshwater lake long before Odysseus' days, and there is more:

"The Lake Voulkaria is not a remnant of a former marine embayment extending inland across modern Palairos coastal plain (Vött et al. 2006b and 2007b) but represents a freshwater lake environment existing at least since the 9th millennium BC"

So, the 'Cleopatra canal' wasn't here in Odysseus' days. Voulkaria was a freshwater lake. Our theorie seems te hit a snag here. Is the story about Cleopatra false or must the Cleopatra canal be found elsewhere?

"Cleopatra's canal to the north of ancient Palairos was probably established (1) as an outlet during times of high water level especialy during winter season and (2) as a navigable waterway to a presumed lake harbour between the 5th and the 1st century BC"

Lake Voulkaria norhtly at the istmus

Ancient Paleros

Jahns 2005
Berktholt & Faisst 1993, see also Vött et al. 2006a, 2007b