Geo-archaeology, archaeometry, and history of a seismic-endangered historical site in central Apennines (Italy)

Abstract

Ancient human settlements accumulate essential historical, archaeological, and geological information. An example is the St. Angel Cave, which preserves a Romanesque church and a complex of lustral tubs in the Eastern Maiella Massif (Central Apennines of Italy). Historical chronicles and archaeological data show that the church dates to the 10th–11th century. The archaeometry applied to the ceramic, coin, and wooden artefacts resulting from the excavation established a chronology of the periods of use and abandonment of the St. Angel Cave. The layering of architectural elements, changes in style, and alterations of the church structure account for two collapses. The first could be related to the poorly known 1209 earthquake. In addition, we describe the damage and changes to the structure and the use of space caused probably by the 1706 and 1933 earthquakes.

QUIN 2.0 - new release of the QUaternary fault strain INdicators database from the Southern Apennines of Italy

“… To better identify and characterize seismogenic sources and the stress regime controlling their activity, through comparison of the long-term geological data with present-day geodetic 49 , 127 and seismological information 48 , 110 . To guide geoscientists in the field for detailed studies on active tectonics, seismic hazard, structural geology and historical seismology 18 , 19 , 21 , 31 , 38 , 85 , 128 . To make available a large local-scale dataset that constrains the Quaternary deformation at a regional scale ( i.e ., the whole Apennines), which can be particularly useful in complex areas (for example, the Calabrian Apennines close to the Benioff plane located offshore the Calabrian arc) or in areas known to be seismic gaps such as the Morrone fault system in the Abruzzo region 129 or the Pollino-Crati fault system in Lucania-Calabria 19 , 67 .…”

“…To guide geoscientists in the field for detailed studies on active tectonics, seismic hazard, structural geology and historical seismology 18 , 19 , 21 , 31 , 38 , 85 , 128 .…”

Reappraisal and Analysis of Macroseismic Data for Seismotectonic Purposes: The Strong Earthquakes of Southern Calabria, Italy

“…This is the case of the Southern Calabrian Arc, in the area between the Catanzaro Basin and the Messina Strait, which, after a paroxysmal activity, with six M w 6.5-7 events in 125 years from 1783 to 1908 and other two M w 6 events in 1791 and 1894 [1,[13][14][15], has only experienced small events with a few minor isolated sequences (M w < 4.5) [16]. Therefore, in such cases, the burden of identifying the potential seismogenic faults must prevailingly rest on field and paleoseismic data on active faults (e.g., [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]), geodetic information (e.g., [30][31][32][33]), and indirect information from the intensity fields distribution and historical reports (e.g., [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]).…”