Search

A spectacular earthquake struck the southern margin of the Iberian Peninsula and part of the western fringe of North Africa in 881 AD. Historical sources suggest it was followed by a tsunami. However, the origin and characteristics of this event are yet to be determined. We present evidence, both historical and geo-archaeological, of a tsunami and outline the characteristics for the catastrophe. The presence of a sedimentary layer rich in marine and continental materials, appears to be of a tsunami backwash artifact, and in addition to archaeological remains, provides compelling data supporting our present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a geomorphological and micromorphological study of the locational context of four Indus civilisation archaeological sites—Alamgirpur, Masudpur I and VII, and Burj—all situated on the Sutlej-Yamuna interfluve in northwest India. The analysis indicates a strong correlation between settlement foundation and particular landscape positions on an extensive alluvial floodplain. Each of the analysed sites was located on sandy levees and/or riverbank deposits associated with former channels. These landscape positions would have situated settlements above the level of seasonal floodwater resulting from the Indian summer monsoon. In addition, the sandy soils on the margins of these elevated landscape positions would have been seasonally replenished with water, silt, clay, and fine organic matter, considerably enhancing their capacity for water retention and fertility and making them particularly suitable for agriculture. These former landscapes are obscured by recent modification and extensive agricultural practices. These geoarchaeological evaluations indicate that there is a hidden landscape context for each Indus settlement. This specific type of interaction between humans and their local context is an important aspect of Indus cultural adaptations to diverse, variable, and changing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]