Archaeoseismology and Palaeoseismology in the Alpine ... - Tierra

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1 st INQUA‐IGCP‐567 International Workshop on Earthquake Archaeology and Palaeoseismology) ROMAN, VISIGOTHIC AND ISLAMIC EVIDENCE OF EARTHQUAKES RECORDED IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF “EL TOLMO DE MINATEDA” (PREBETIC ZONE, SOUTHEAST OF SPAIN) M.A. Rodríguez‐Pascua (1), L. Abad Casal (2), R. Pérez‐López (1), B. Gamo Parra (3), P.G. Silva (4), V.H. Garduño‐Monroy (5), J.L. Giner‐Robles (6), I. Israde‐Alcántara (5), J. Bischoff (7) and J.P. Calvo (1) (1) Departamento de Investigación y Prospectiva Geocientífica, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España. C/ Ríos Rosas, 23. 28003‐Madrid. SPAIN. ma.rodriguez@igme.es, r.perez@igme.es , jose.calvo@igme.es (2) Universidad de Alicante. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Dpto. de Prehistoria, Arqueología, Filología Griega y Filología Latina. Carretera Sant Vicent del Raspeig s/n. 03690 Sant Vicent del Raspeig – Alicante. SPAIN. E‐mail: lorenzo.abad@ua.es (3) Museo de Albacete. Junta de Comunidades de Castilla‐La Mancha. Parque de Abelardo Sánchez, s/n. 02002‐Albacete. SPAIN. bgamo@jccm.es (4) Dpto. Geología Universidad Salamanca, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ávila, 05003‐Ávila. SPAIN. pgsilva@usal.es (5) Universidad Michoacana. Morelia. Michoacán, 58060 MEXICO. E‐mail: vgmonroy@zeus.umich.mx, aisrade@zeus.umich.mx (6) Dpto. Geología. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Cantoblanco. Tres Cantos. Madrid. SPAIN. E‐mail: jlginer@gmail.es (7) Laboratory of Geochronology. United States Geological Survey. 345 Middlefield Road, MS 211, Menlo Park, CA 94025. USA. E‐mail: jbischoff@usgs.gov Abstract: The archaeological site of “El Tolmo de Minateda” is located within the Albacete province (SE of Spain) and shows a continuous time record of ancient civilizations from 3500 yr BP onwards. However, three temporal gaps were identified in this archaeological record, all of them in relationship with a sudden and unclear abandonment of the city (Centuries 1 st , 7 th and 9 th ). The archaeological evidence supports the possibility that moderate strong earthquakes were the cause of such abandonments: oriented columns fallen, collapsed walls and arches, abandonment of irrigation systems and fresh‐water supplies, crashed pottery, etc. Despite of the scarce of the instrumental seismicity and a few historical chronicles, paleoseismic studies performed in the neighbouring zone (Hellín) suggest the presence of closer seismic sources as faults affecting Quaternary alluvial, lacustrine deposits and colluviums. In this work, we propose the possibility that three moderate (M 6) earthquakes devastated the ancient Roman city of Ilunum (Century 1 st AD), the Visigothic city of Elo (Century 7 th AD) and the Islamic city of Madinat Iyih (Century 9 th AD), all of them the same place: “El Tolmo de Minateda”. Key words: Roman, Visigothic, Islamic, earthquake, “Tolmo de Minateda”, Southeast of Spain. INTRODUCTION “El Tolmo de Minateda” is one of the best representative archaeological sites within the Albacete province (SE Spain), with a well‐preserved record for the last c.a. 3500 years BP. During this epoch, various cultures and ancients civilizations were settled in this site, in parallelism with the historical periods of Spain: Iberians, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims and Christians. The “El Tolmo de Minateda” represents a strategically geographical point between the Iberian Meseta and the Mediterranean zone, and this explains the ongoing and well‐preserved archaeological record. During this time of almost 3500 yrs, “El Tolmo” shows three abandonments and destructions in three different ages: Roman (Century 1 st ‐ 2 th AD), Visigoth (Century 7 th AD) and Islamic (Century 9 th AD). The seismic activity of the active faults in this zone could affect the archaeological site and produce the lack of record in these three historic periods. GEOGRAPHYCAL AND GEOLOGICAL SEETING “El Tolmo de Minateda” is located between the villages of Cordovilla and Agramón, at the southernmost area of the Albacete province (SE of Spain) (Fig. 1). This archaeological site appears close to the Betic Cordillera and is related with two major strike‐slip faults, Pozohondo and Lietor (Fig. 1B). Both structures are active faults trending NW‐SE, affecting Quaternary alluvial and 110 colluviums deposits and with a trace longitude about 90 km approximately (Rodríguez‐Pascua et al., 2003). ARCHAEOSEISMIC EVIDENCE The archaeological record of this ancient city supports evidence for earthquake damage linked to three periods of city abandonment and destruction, including oriented collapse of walls, watchtowers and columns, oriented cracking of walls and column drums, as well as “in situ” broken pottery, abrupt abandonment of kilns, and anomalous sedimentary infilling of canals and water supply facilities. Additionally, large scale rock landslides containing Visigothic carved tombs are also apparently associated with these episodes, constituting one of the few geo‐archaeological earthquake ground effects reported in this zone. Earthquake evidence during the roman period (Century 1 st ‐2 th AD) In the High Roman Empire this zone was moderately occupied by people, although some evidence supports the idea that the principal city of Ilunum was deserted (Roman name of the “El Tolmo”).
1 st INQUA‐IGCP‐567 International Workshop on Earthquake Archaeology and Palaeoseismology) Fig. 1: (A) Geographic location of the studied area. (B) Detailed structural map of the archaeological site of the ancient city “Tolmo de Minateda” (red star) (Albacete province). Socovos‐Calasparra, Lietor and Pozohondo faults represent major strike‐slip faults with palaeoseismic evidence of recent activity and the location of the trenches in the Pozohondo Fault (dashed square). Evidence of this abandonment includes the partial detritical infilling of the fresh‐water supply and irrigation canals in the Zama town (close to Ilunum), as well as the increasing population dispersion outwards from the site (Abad‐Casal, 1998). As potential coseismic effects, both the solid defensive wall and the watchtowers in the entrance of de city collapsed (Fig. 2), and it is possible identify penetrative fractures across the in‐situ remained stone blocks. Fig. 2: Collapsed defensive wall dated in the Visigothic period. Earthquake evidence during the visigothic period (Century 7 th AD) During the middle Visigothic Period (Century 7 th AD), there is a lack of archaeological record associated with an unexplained abandonment of El Tolmo, (named as Elo during this period) (Abad‐Casal et al., 1998)). Associated to this abandonment and as potential coseismic effects, 111 the defensive wall at the “El Reguerón”, as well as part of the City Wall collapsed. The watchtowers in the entrance of de city collapsed (Fig. 2), and it is possible identify penetrative fractures across the in situ remained stone blocks. Furthermore, this collapse was dipping not towards the main dip slope direction. This wall was founded on the solid Miocene sandstone, being the main way trough the city gate and which displays a continuous deep wheel‐tracks, carved on the sandstone substratum. During the Visigoth period, a Basilica was built at the top of the town (Abad‐Casal et al., 2000). The Basilica was also damaged, coeval with the wall collapse, showing fallen columns with an approximate N‐S trending, and dipping towards the north. The arches of the main nave of the basilica and the principal vault was also collapsed (Fig. 3). Moreover, the key stone of the arch appeared in a vertical position and there are cracks dipping 45º and affecting the Basilica pillars. These types of cracks have been cited as possible coseismic effects by other works (e.g. Silva et al., 2009). Fig. 3: Collapsed arch of the Visigothic Basilica.
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Abstracts Volume Archaeoseismology
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Edita e imprime: Sección de Public
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1 st INQUA‐IGCP‐567 Internation
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the importance of performing absolu
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indicative of strike‐slip faultin
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DISCUSSION Based on detailed field
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Table 1: Source parameters used in
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elations. However, the attenuation
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mostly concentrated on the DST in I
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continuous support. N. Shalev, G. G
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The tumulus initial morphology show
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our understanding and prediction of
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spans, with a threefold increase fr
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Nevertheless the lack of research,
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earthquake. In uncertain cases, as
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The site reconnaissance successfull
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Table 1: Surface faulting extent re
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The graben has a markedly asymmetri
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are a valuable addition to the rout
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to 400 m) the calculated values for
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RISK ANALYSIS The created hazard ma
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290 m water depth the basin accumul
Page 61 and 62: CONCLUSIONS From the palaeostress a
Page 63 and 64: Fig. 2: Geological map of the study
Page 65 and 66: 1 st INQUA‐IGCP‐567 Internation
Page 71 and 72: however, the massive 1995 earthquak
Page 73 and 74: mapped on the slopes above Qiryat
Page 77 and 78: interpreted as either an expression
Page 79 and 80: The Shepran Cave is located on the
Page 87 and 88: properties. The mean value of speci
Page 91 and 92: excavated a deep trench, thus provi
Page 99 and 100: Fig. 8: Seismic ground shaking may
Page 101 and 102: elevant qualitative criteria are po
Page 103 and 104: CONCLUDING REMARKS The exposed exam
Page 105 and 106: produced by significantly different
Page 107 and 108: It is possible that a portion of th
Page 109 and 110: In addition, the Database of histor
Page 111: were published by IGME (1983) and E
Page 115 and 116: The city collapsed and it was aband
Page 119 and 120: Fig. 4: Slipped lintel in a window
Page 121 and 122: to overcome shear resistance and in
Page 123 and 124: Newmark, N.M. (1965). Effects of ea
Page 125 and 126: associated with various tsunamis (<
Page 129 and 130: this method, the magnitude of the e
Page 133 and 134: etween pieces. Fragments have not f
Page 137 and 138: on the exact date of the earthquake
Page 139 and 140: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE COLOGNE Aft
Page 143 and 144: affecting the Alcázar was about 50
Page 147 and 148: archaeoseismology could instead bec
Page 149 and 150: In the area later occupied by Vilni
Page 155 and 156: Fig. 2: Assemblage of landforms ass
Page 157 and 158: Fig. 8: Data and regression for mag
Page 159 and 160: Fig. 3: Relationships among magnitu
Page 161 and 162: CONCLUSIONS 1. Spatial distribution
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The stratigraphic sequence (Fig. 4)
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especially in the zones of hanging
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interpretations are based on relati
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Fig. 5: Gray‐scale value laser im
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(~40 cm), F‐ rotated building str
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Index 1 st INQUA‐IGCP‐567 Inter
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