Apocalypse : earthquakes, archaeology, and the wrath of God / Amos Nur, Dawn Burgess.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nur, Amos, author.

Burgess, Dawn, 1967- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human beings--Effect of environment on--History.

Human beings.

Social change--History.

Social change.

Earthquakes--Social aspects.

Earthquakes.

Earthquakes--Political aspects.

Earthquakes--History.

Earthquakes--Economic aspects.

Extinct cities.

Excavations (Archaeology).

Civilization, Ancient.

Archaeology and natural disasters.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (326 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2008]

Summary:

What if Troy was not destroyed in the epic battle immortalized by Homer? What if many legendary cities of the ancient world did not meet their ends through war and conquest as archaeologists and historians believe, but in fact were laid waste by a force of nature so catastrophic that religions and legends describe it as the wrath of god? Apocalypse brings the latest scientific evidence to bear on biblical accounts, mythology, and the archaeological record to explore how ancient and modern earthquakes have shaped history--and, for some civilizations, seemingly heralded the end of the world. Archaeologists are trained to seek human causes behind the ruins they study. Because of this, the subtle clues that indicate earthquake damage are often overlooked or even ignored. Amos Nur bridges the gap that for too long has separated archaeology and seismology. He examines tantalizing evidence of earthquakes at some of the world's most famous archaeological sites in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, including Troy, Jericho, Knossos, Mycenae, Armageddon, Teotihuacán, and Petra. He reveals what the Bible, the Iliad, and other writings can tell us about the seismic calamities that may have rocked the ancient world. He even explores how earthquakes may have helped preserve the Dead Sea Scrolls. As Nur shows, recognizing earthquake damage in the shifted foundations and toppled arches of historic ruins is vital today because the scientific record of world earthquake risks is still incomplete. Apocalypse explains where and why ancient earthquakes struck--and could strike again.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 King Agamemnon's Capital

Chapter 2 How Earthquakes Happen

Chapter 3 History, Myth, and the Reliability of the Written Record

Chapter 4 Clues to Earthquakes in the Archaeological Record

Chapter 5 Under the Rubble: Human Casualties of Earthquakes

Chapter 6 Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Destruction That Preserves

Chapter 7 Expanding the Earthquake Record in the Holy Land

Chapter 8 Earthquake Storms and the Catastrophic End of the Bronze Age

Chapter 9 Rumblings and Revolutions: Political Effects of Earthquakes

Chapter 10 Earthquakes and Societal Collapse

Glossary

References

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [289]-304) and index.

ISBN:

9780691236988

0691236984

OCLC:

1264468867