The 472 AD Pollena eruption of Somma-Vesuvius (Italy) and its environmental impact at the end of the Roman Empire

Mastrolorenzo, G.; Palladino, Danilo M.; Vecchio, Giuseppe; Taddeucci, Jacopo

doi:10.1016/s0377-0273(01)00248-7

Cited by 43 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Only volcanic eruptions may be responsible for extended effects throughout a large region. However, the origin of volcanic catastrophes can be easily defined through the burial of the archaeological remains by thick volcanic deposits (e.g., Sigurdsson et al 1982;Livadie 1999;Mastrolorenzo et al 2002 for three Vesuvius eruptions in southern Italy). Moreover, only periods of war may cause sudden damage extended throughout a region.…”

Section: 'Territorial' Archaeoseismologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeoseismology: Methodological issues and procedure

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Archaeoseismic research contributes important data on past earthquakes. A limitation of the usefulness of archaeoseismology is due to the lack of continuous discussion about the methodology. The methodological issues are particularly important because archaeoseismological investigations of past earthquakes make use of a large variety of methods. Typical in situ investigations include: (1) reconstruction of the local archaeological stratigraphy aimed at defining the correct position and chronology of a destruction layer, presumably related to an earthquake; (2) analysis of the deformations potentially due to seismic shaking or secondary earthquake effects, detectable on walls; (3) analysis of the depositional characteristics of the collapsed material; (4) investigations of the local geology and geomorphology to define possible natural cause(s) of the destruction; (5) investigations of the local factors affecting the ground motion amplifications; and (6) estimation of the dynamic excitation, which affected the site under investigation. Subsequently, a 'territorial' approach testing evidence of synchronous destruction in a certain region may delineate the extent of the area struck by the earthquake. The most reliable results of an archaeoseismological investigation are obtained by application of modern geoarchaeological practice (archaeological stratigraphy plus geological-geomorphological data), with the addition of a geophysicalengineering quantitative approach and (if available) historical information. This gives a basic dataset necessary to perform quantitative analyses which, in turn, corroborate the archaeoseismic hypothesis. Since archaeoseismological investigations can reveal the possible natural causes of destruction at a site, they contribute to the wider field of environmental archaeology, that seeks to define the history of the relationship between humans and the environment. Finally, through the improvement of the knowledge on the past seismicity, these studies can contribute to the regional estimation of seismic hazard.

show abstract

Section: 'Territorial' Archaeoseismologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeoseismology: Methodological issues and procedure

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In contrast to the AD 79 event, this eruption occurred at a time of political, economic and social stagnation and the fragmentation of the Roman state. Interpretation of the available archaeological evidence indicates that a profound regional decline set in following this event (Mastrolenzo et al, 2002). The eruption was not the sole cause of this decline; as Mastrolenzo et al (2002) point out, the archaeological evidence suggests that the region was already undergoing an economic downturn and the eruption appears to have intensified and perhaps extended this process.…”

Section: 1vesuviusandthepalmacampaniamentioning

confidence: 98%

Aspects of Armageddon: An exploration of the role of volcanic eruptions in human history and civilization

Grattan

2006

Quaternary International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Volcanic eruptions are frequently invoked as the mechanism responsible for changes observed in the archaeological and environmental record. This paper argues that the evidence for this assumption is slight and that while there are examples of this, they are rare. Several case studies are discussed which illustrate the complex nature of the relationship between human cultures and volcanic eruptions and it is suggested that volcanic activity frequently acts as a stimulus rather than a brake to cultural development.

show abstract

“…The Vesuvius volcano has been intensively studied, mainly with respect to the eruptive events, the recent seismicity, the geochemistry and the ground movements of the volcano and the related volcanic hazard (Cassano & La Torre, 1987;Santacroce et al, 1987;Castellano et al, 2002;Esposti Ongaro et al, 2002;Mastrolorenzo et al, 2002;Saccorotti et al, 2002;Scarpa et al, 2002;Todesco et al, 2002).…”

Section: Somma-vesuvius Volcanic Complexmentioning

confidence: 99%