Archaeological Volcanology

Abstract

The definition of archaeological volcanology can be simply stated as the science of human adaptation to disasters arising from volcanic eruptions. As its name implies, archaeological volcanology combines archaeology, a subfield of anthropology or history, and volcanology, a subfield of geosciences. The combination is necessary to understand how humans respond and adapt to volcanic eruptions, and data from all eruptions, from the past to the present, are used in this endeavor. As ethnographic, archaeological, and volcanological data attest, volcanic eruptions can act upon cultural groups as catalysts, as processes, and, rarely, as termination factors (Bawden andogy is related to the anthropology and sociology of disaster, as well as to hazards research and management. Volcanic eruptions are just one type of "hazard" that, when combined with an affected human population, can rapidly become a "disaster" that must be dealt with for both individual and group survival. Volcanic eruptions are some of the most powerful natural phenomena, with their impact on the cultural and natural environment extending far beyond the zone of physical destruction. An eruption is a full sensory experience-these features are seen, heard, felt, and smelled. Eruptions shake the ground; create and sometimes destroy mountains; turn day into night; emit foul-smelling sulfur and other noxious gases; and make roaring, hissing, and knocking sounds that can be heard for hundreds of kilometers. The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences. Edited by Sandra L. López Varela. They are also highly symbolic, emitting red-hot glowing lava from deep within the Earth. As it cools, the lava transforms from a molten liquid to solid rock, which, along with the deposition of tephra (broken pieces of magma thrown into the air), can dramatically alter the landscape, cover long-established territorial markers, and alter or even destroy once-reliable water sources. Prior to the Industrial Age, the world was a quiet place, with a short clap of thunder being the loudest sound regularly heard, and the prolonged roar of an eruption would have been highly alarming and potentially terrifying. Unlike many other natural hazards, volcanic eruptions have an extended duration and can also evolve over time, making human adaptation not only an ongoing process, but one that must be flexible. As a result of these impacts, volcanoes are well known as destructive to humans, animals, plant life, and property, which may account for the deep-seated fear and awe that characterizes the human-volcano relationship. Eruptions are common in traditional (or oral) histories, generally involving fires and molten rock from deep within the Earth, a place, for many societies , where both gods and people originated. It is not surprising, then, that eruptions are almost always seen as malevolent and often a form of divine punishment or retribution. What is less well known is that eruptions can also have very beneficial effects. Volcanic rock is a prime source for construction material. A thin tephra cover can also serve as a water-retaining, temperature-regulating mulch, allowing areas previously too dry to farm to become productive ; bumper crop yields are often reported in areas with less than 15-20 cm of tephra in the years immediately following an eruption. Perhaps most significantly, areas once uninhabitable due to thick tephra cover may gradually transform into fertile agricultural fields. Volcanic soils today support a large proportion of Earth's population. One of the difficulties in dealing with a volcanic eruption, both as a disaster and as a research area, is that eruptions have both direct (short-term) and indirect (long-term) effects.