Researchers Unearthed a Tsunami "Time Capsule" From One of the Greatest Disasters Ever Recorded

Eruption of Thera

Some researchers have compared the "super-colossal" eruption of the Thera volcano to a million Hiroshima-type atomic bombs that detonated at the same time. 

Researchers think that Plato's depiction of the buried city of Atlantis, which was written more than a millennium later, is an example of the Bronze Age event's effect on the biblical Ten Plagues, which were written more than 2,000 years later. 

For more than 100 miles north-northeast of Santorini, Turkey's Aegean coast is home to the esme-Balararas archeological site, which is described in this study.

Investigations started in 2002 when ancient pottery was discovered during the construction of an apartment building in the residential district of esme-Balararas, barely two blocks from the present seashore.

When Turkey's Ankaragücü University began excavations in 2009, they discovered what seemed to be an active coastal village that had been in use since the 3rd millennium B.C, according to National Geographic. 

Tsunamis may be difficult to recognize since evidence like destroyed structures and flames might also be caused by earthquakes, floods, or storms. In drier regions like the Aegean coast, such evidence may vanish swiftly over time.  

A variety of checklists are now being developed by experts to seek for previous tsunami episodes, including patterns in sediment and rock deposits, as well as physical and chemical traces left by marine life washed ashore by the encroaching waves. 

Also Read: Experts Debunked Fears of Mega-Tsunami Coming to East Coast Due to La Palma Volcanic Eruption

The Perplexing Aspects of the Thera Eruption 

Since more than 35,000 people perished in the Krakatoa tsunami and comparable numbers have been predicted for Bronze Age Aegean, one of the most surprising elements of Thera's eruption is the absence of casualties.

A man discovered buried in debris on the Santorini island chain during investigations in the late 19th century is the sole person who has been recognized as a likely victim of Thera. 

Larger prior eruptions may have sparked a mass evacuation; victims were burnt by super-heated gases, or they drowned largely in the sea, or they were buried in mass graves that have yet to be discovered. There are several theories for the absence of fatalities.

Goodman-Tchernov believes that researchers may have already discovered victims of the Thera catastrophe but neglected to link them to the tsunami deposits they had previously found. Due to secondary or tertiary effects at the periphery of the eruption, it is possible that additional victims were already found, but their identities were not immediately recognized.

(Photo : Getty Images)

Waves of Tsunami Landfalls 

Four waves of tsunami landfalls struck esme-Balararas over a few days or weeks, according to the study.

There were four stages of eruption of Thera, and scholars have long debated which phase generated the tsunami that they assumed was a single event.

During the time between the tsunami's landfalls, it seems that survivors dug into the turmoil in search of victims and construction supplies.

The corpse of a young male was discovered buried in a shallow trench that had been excavated only a few feet close to the surface.

Related Article: Experts Discovered That a Powerful Tsunami Impacted Coast of Chile Almost 300 Years Ago

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