A tsunami early medieval destroyed Caesarea Which was then reconstructed relatively quickly, according to new evidence presented by the researchers. Haifa University In a study published on Sunday.
The research was carried out in collaboration with a team from the University of Haifa School of Marine Sciences Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), and aimed to shed light on how people responded to ancient natural disasters and help predict future natural disasters.
The research was led by National Geographic Explorer Dr. Beverly Goodman Chernov and the University of Haifa’s Charles J. Posted in Everhart IV and peer review geology magazine,
Caesarea MaritimaThe ancient city, upon which modern Caesarea is built, was destroyed by a combination of factors such as low economic prospects and the changing political climate. Nevertheless, it appears that the final nail was a massive tsunami caused by an earthquake that shook the Levant in 749 AD.
Initially investigated in the 1990s, the project was reopened by the IAA in 2016 with the support of the Caesarea Development Corporation as part of the current Caesarea National Park renovation.
Ancient Tsunami and Modern Society
“This study considers how coastal sites are affected by earthquakes and tsunamis. Over the past 10-15 years, we have come to understand that tsunamis pose a much greater risk than we originally knew,” said Dr. Goodman Tchernov. “This study is the first published evidence of tsunami accumulation on land is the place
“This study gives us very important data points for potential future tsunamis. It informs us about potential risks and what we need to be prepared for. By examining a portion of the remains of a past disaster, we get a better understanding of where the risk zones are along the coast.
Understanding how past tsunamis affected the coastline may help us plan for future tsunamis by building appropriate infrastructure such as sea walls.
However the ancient city of Caesarea Maritima was eventually destroyed by an earthquake. The site was briefly abandoned, until several decades later when the area was re-settled by the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasid settlers rebuilt the ruins of the ancient city while preserving them, the settlers leveling much of the sand deposited by the tsunami to form a clear sedimentary layer.
The ability of residents to move forward and rebuild, even decades later, is a reminder that for any society affected by a “catastrophic” natural disaster, the most important thing is to look to the future and that rebuilding is always possible, whether it is Whether it is an individual city or an entire society, it is the ability of that population to respond and recover that makes the difference.