Ancient Greek harbours used as geo-archives for palaeotsunami research : case studies from Krane (Cefalonia), Lechaion (Gulf of Corinth) and Kyllini (Peloponnese)

Since historical times, coastal areas throughout the eastern Mediterranean are exposed to tsunami hazard. For many decades the knowledge about palaeotsunamis was solely based on historical accounts. However, results from timeline analyses reveal different characteristics affecting the quality of the dataset (i.e. distribution of data, temporal thinning backward of events, local periodization phenomena) that emphasize the fragmentary character of the historical data. As an increasing number of geo-scientific studies give convincing examples of well dated tsunami signatures not reported in catalogues, the non-existing record is a major problem to palaeotsunami research. While the compilation of historical data allows a first approach in the identification of areas vulnerable to tsunamis, it must not be regarded as reliable for hazard assessment. Considering the increasing economic significance of coastal regions (e.g. for mass tourism) and the constantly growing coastal population, our knowledge on the local, regional and supraregional tsunami hazard along Mediterranean coasts has to be improved. For setting up a reliable tsunami risk assessment and developing risk mitigation strategies, it is of major importance (i) to identify areas under risk and (ii) to estimate the intensity and frequency of potential events. This approach is most promising when based on the analysis of palaeotsunami research seeking to detect areas of high palaeotsunami hazard, to calculate recurrence intervals and to document palaeotsunami destructiveness in terms of wave run-up, inundation and long-term coastal change. Within the past few years, geo-scientific studies on palaeotsunami events provided convincing evidence that throughout the Mediterranean ancient harbours were subject to strong tsunami-related disturbance or destruction. Constructed to protect ships from storm and wave activity, harbours provide especially sheltered and quiescent environments and thus turned out to be valuable geo-archives for tsunamigenic high-energy impacts on coastal areas. Directly exposed to the Hellenic Trench and extensive local fault systems, coastal areas in the Ionian Sea and the Gulf of Corinth hold a considerably high risk for tsunami events, respectively.Geo-scientific and geoarcheaological studies carried out in the environs of the ancient harbours of Krane (Cefalonia Island), Lechaion (Corinth, Gulf of Corinth) and Kyllini (western Peloponnese) comprised on-shore and near-shore vibracoring and subsequent sedimentological, geochemical and microfossil analyses of the recovered sediments. Geophysical methods like electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar were applied in order to detect subsurface structures and to verify stratigraphical patterns derived from vibracores over long distances. The overall geochronological framework of each study area is based on radiocarbon dating of biogenic material and age determination of diagnostic ceramic fragments. Results presented within this study provide distinct evidence of multiple palaeotsunami landfalls for the investigated areas. Tsunami signatures encountered in the environs of Krane, Lechaion and Kyllini include (i) coarse-grained allochthonous marine sediments intersecting silt-dominated quiescent harbour deposits and/or shallow marine environments, (ii) disturbed microfaunal assemblages and/or (iii) distinct geochemical fingerprints as well as (iv) geo-archaeological destruction layers and (v) extensive units of beachrock-type calcarenitic tsunamites. For Krane, geochronological data yielded termini ad or post quem (maximum ages) for tsunami event generations dated to 4150 ± 60 cal BC, ~ 3200 ± 110 cal BC, ~ 650 ± 110 cal BC, and ~ 930 ± 40 cal AD, respectively. Results for Lechaion suggest that the harbour was hit by strong tsunami impacts in the 8th-6th century BC, the 1st-2nd century AD and in the 6th century AD. At Kyllini, the harbour site was affected by tsunami impact in between the late 7th and early 4th cent. BC and between the 4th and 6th cent. AD. In case of Lechaion and Kyllini, the final destruction of the harbour facilities also seems to be related to the tsunami impact. Comparing the tsunami signals obtained for each study areas with geo-scientific data from palaeotsunami events from other sites indicates that the investigated harbour sites represent excellent geo-archives for supra-regional mega-tsunamis.

Die Debatte über die Ziele des Vierten Kreuzzugs : ein Beitrag zur Lösung geschichtswissenschaftlich umstrittener Fragen mit Hilfe sozialwissenschaftlicher Instrumente

Der Rational-Choice-Ansatz (RCA) hat in den letzten Jahrzehnten eine weite Ver-rnbreitung in vielen sozialwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen erfahren. Insbesondere in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten gab es wiederholte Bemühungen, den RCA auchrnauf geschichtswissenschaftliche Fragestellungen und Themen anzuwenden. Ein interssanter Ansatz dafür ist eine integrative Methodik, die unter der Bezeichnung „Analytic Narrative“ bekannt wurde. Damit wird versucht, die klassische narrative Form der Erklärung historischer Phänomene mit spieltheoretischen Modellierungen zu verbinden. Inspiriert durch diesen Ansatz geht die vorliegende Untersuchung der Frage nach, in welcher Form und unter welchen Umständen der RCA als analytische Grundlage für historische Themenfelder und Fragestellungen geeignet sein mag. Dies wird nicht nur theoretisch, sondern an einem historischen Beispiel untersucht. Konkreter Betrachtungsgegenstand der Arbeit ist der Vierte Kreuzzug. Vor über 800 Jahren endete dieser mit der Eroberung und Plünderung Konstantinopels sowie der Zerschlagung des Byzantinischen Reichs. Seit mehr als 150 Jahren streiten Historiker über die Ursachen für diese Ereignisse. Die theoretischenrnGrundpositionen, die innerhalb dieser Debatte durch einzelne Historiker einge-rnnommen wurden, dienen als Ausgangspunkt für die hier verfolgte Untersuchung.rnEs wird gezeigt, dass die Daten, die uns über den Vierten Kreuzzug vorliegen,rndie Möglichkeit eröffnen, verschiedene auf dem RCA basierende Analyseverfah-rnren zur Anwendung zu bringen. Das zentrale Ziel der Analyse besteht darin, ausrnden vorhandenen Quellen neue Einsichten in die strategischen Handlungsoptionen der für den Verlauf des Kreuzzugs relevanten Akteure zu generieren undrnüberdies ein Höchstmaß an Überprüfbarkeit zu gewährleisten.