3,600-year-old 'time box' reveals one of humanity's most terrible disasters

An ancient 'timebox' buried from one of the deadliest volcanic disasters in human history has been unearthed on the coast of Turkey, providing 'intriguing' new evidence of the event Cataclysmic - The Great Flood.

In a paper published on December 28, 2021 by the National Academy of Sciences, an international team of researchers presented evidence of a destructive tsunami that occurred after the event. Lava eruption of Thera (Santorini, modern Greece), a volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, about 3,600 years ago.

The painting depicts the volcanic island of Thera (Santorini, Egypt) in the Aegean Sea during lava eruptions.

Thera's "super-giant" eruption, ranked 7 (out of 8) on the volcanic explosive force index, is considered one of the most destructive lava eruptions in human history. , which is likened to the explosion of millions of atomic bombs that flattened Hiroshima.

Many scholars believe that the painful memory of the volcanic disaster that took place in the Bronze Age (circa 1600 BC) can be found in Plato's allegory of the sinking city of Atlantis, which was more composed. a thousand years later, and the terrifying impact of this event is also recorded in the '10 plagues' chapter of the Bible.

Although there is no direct record of the volcanic eruption or the great tsunami, researchers have now found a way to determine their extent and impact on life in the region. Mediterranean at that time - most notably for Minos, the most magnificent Greek civilization that had collapsed at the same time, in the 15th century BC.

Beverly Goodman-Tchernov inspects a layer of ash at a former Bronze Age site in Çeşme-Bağlararası, Turkey.

Unveiling a 'great disaster' tsunami

The study was carried out at the archaeological site of Çesme -Bağlararası, located in the popular resort town of Çesme on Turkey's Aegean coast, more than 100 miles north of Santorini, the article said. North Northeast Investigations began in 2002, after antique pottery was found during the construction of an apartment building.

Since 2009, archaeologist Vasıf Şahoğlu of Turkey's Ankara University has assumed responsibility for directing excavations in the nearly continuously occupied area between the 3rd millennium and the 13th century BC. .

He discovered collapsed city walls, layers of ashes and fragments of pottery, bones and shells. Mr. Şahoğlu quickly contacted colleagues from various fields, including Beverly Goodman-Tchernov, professor of marine geosciences at Israel's Haifa University, and National Geographic Explorer, who specializes in marine geosciences. Tsunami identification in archeology and geology.

The fresco from the Minoan palace at Knossos, Crete shows the Thera disaster that disrupted trade routes and infrastructure for the Minosians.

"Tsunami is primarily corrosive. not capable of depositing matter, so we were very excited to find these artifacts," said Floyd McCoy, professor of geology and oceanography at the University of Hawaii, College of Windward, expressed in an email.

McCoy, who studied volcanic eruptions and tsunamis at Thera but was not involved in the recent project, called the study "a real and not only extremely useful contribution to the science of sedimentology." tsunami but also has great significance in learning about lava eruptions in Thera".

A disaster with no casualties?

One of the greatest mysteries of the eruption of volcano Thera is that there are so few recorded victims: more than 35,000 people are estimated to have died in the tsunami caused by the eruption of Krakatoa. However, to date, only one body has been identified as 'likely' to be the victim of the great natural disaster: a man found buried under rubble on the Santorini Islands, in investigations in the late 19th century.

Various theories have been put forward: earlier, smaller-scale volcanic eruptions caused people to flee the area before the historic double disaster; the victims were burned by the superheated heat of the lava; perish on the seabed; buried in mass graves that have yet to be identified.

Map of where Thera - now Santorini is located.

"How did one of the worst natural disasters in history fail to destroy a life?" asked Mr. Şahoğlu.

Professor Goodman-Tchernov said that researchers may not have been able to recognize sediments from past tsunamis, and may have discovered victims of Thera disaster but 'ignored it. " or 'unlink' the clues together.

However, in Çesme-Bağlararası, researchers say they have found the first victim of this doom event: the remains of a young, healthy man with signs of impact trauma, was found sprawled in the rubble of the tsunami. The skeleton of a dog lying nearby was also discovered around the same time.

The investigation and dating analysis of the two newly discovered skeletons will begin next month.

The remains of one of the most terrible catastrophes in human history. (Photo by National Geographic).

Waves of 'rage'

The researchers identified four tsunamis that made landfall in Çesme-Bağlararası over a period of days to weeks. This is 'particularly intriguing' to McCoy because he previously said there were four stages to the eruption of volcano Thera. Researchers have long asked the question: 'What eruption stage triggered such a devastating tsunami'?

As the waters receded between the tsunami waves, it seems that the surviving residents used the opportunity to search for victims in the chaos. A dent was found just above the young man's body - a sign of someone being 'grabbed' or 'grabbed' by a strong pull. However, that person stopped too soon to save the victim.

Evidence of the search effort during this tsunami shows concern over the burial of the bodies of the ill-fated victims after the great disaster, possibly in mass graves to reduce the spread of the disease. came out later, helping to explain the general absence of human victims from the levels of destruction in the Aegean.

The journey to find the truth is not over yet

According to historical records, the eruption of Thera volcano is dated to a period known as Late Minoan IA, associated with the 18th dynasty of Ancient Egypt in the 1500s BC. However, the radiocarbon on wood chips found in the ash layer at Akrotiri date to the second half of 1600 BC — more than a century apart.

While scientists are still debating when the Thera disaster took place and the damage it caused to the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age, researchers hope this discovery will spur further investigations. Archaeologists from the same project, checked to see if any 'elusive' evidence of one of the most devastating natural disasters in human history had been missed.

Meanwhile, Mr. Şahoğlu hopes that the archaeological site, located in the heart of a popular resort town, could one day become a tourist attraction.

Humanity will face more than just dangers that still smolder at sea, says Jessica Pilarczyk, assistant professor of earth science and lead researcher on natural hazards at Simon Fraser University. past, but also possible disasters in the future. She added that this study is a hope that can arouse awareness and even prepare the public for natural hazards.

'Just because disasters like tsunamis happen so little and far apart, sometimes centuries before another destructive event occurs, doesn't mean people can claim to be their own. My body is safe'.