Human cultures have been interacting with natural hazards since the dawn of time. This book explores these interactions in detail and revisits some famous catastrophes including the eruptions of Thera and Vesuvius. These studies demonstrate that diverse human cultures had well-developed strategies which facilitated their response to extreme natural events.
'One of the greatest achievements of this book is to be both interesting and relevant without focusing on either Europe or North America ... The book provides valuable insights into the ways in which so many peoples view disasters.'- The Geographical Journal, 2005
List of figures. List of tables. List of contributors. Preface. 1. The Archaeology of Disasters: Past and Future Trends Robin Torrence and John Grattan 2. Basic Characteristics of Disasters Shimoyama Satoru 3. Tsunamis and the Coastal Communities of Papua New Guinea Hugh Davies 4. Bacalor Town and Pinatubo Volcano, Philippines: Coping with Recurrent Lahar Disaster K.S. Crittenden and K.S. Rodolfo 5. Maritime Archaeology and Behaviour During Crisis: the Wreck of the V.O.C. Ship Batavia (1629) Martin Gibbs 6. The End is Nigh? Severe Social and Environmental Responses to Volcanic Pollution of the Lower Atmosphere John Grattan, Ruud T.E. Schuttenhelm and Mark Brayshay 7. Recurring Tremors: the Continuing Impact of the AD79 Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius Penelope M. Allison 8. Volcanism and Early Maori Society in New Zealand D.J. Lowe, R.M. Newman and J.D. McGraw 9. Under the Volcano: Ni-Vanuatu and Their Environment Jean-Christophe Galipaud 10. Earthquakes, Subsidence, Prehistoric Site Attrition and the Archaeological Record: A View from the Settlement Point Site, Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska Patrick Saltonstall and Gary A. Carver 11. Natural Disasters and Cultural Change in the Shumagin Islands Lucille Lewis Johnson 12. Horsemen of the Apocalypse: the Relationship between Severe Environmental Perturbations and Culture Change on the North Coast of Peru Kimberly D. Kornbacher 13. Climactic Change, Flooding and Occupational Hiatus in the Lake-dwelling Central European Bronze Age Francesco Menotti 14. Towards an Archaeology of Crisis: Defining the Long-term Impact of the Bronze Age Santorini Eruption Jan Driessen 15. Volcanoes and History: a Significant Relationship? The Case of Santorini Sturt W. Manning and David A. Sewell 16. What Makes a Disaster? A Long-term View of Volcanic Eruptions and Human Responses in Papua New Guinea Robin Torrence 17. The Impact of the Kikai-Akahoya Explosive Eruptions on Human Societies Hiroshi Machida and Shinji Sugiyama 18. Volcanic Disasters and Archaeological Sites in Kyushu, Japan Shimoyama Satoru