Turkey has discovered the remains of two young men and their dog, who died in a tsunami that was triggered 3600 years ago by an eruption at Thera volcano.
Archaeologists found the pair of skeletons during excavations at Çeşme-Bağlararası, a Late Bronze Age site near Çeşme Bay, on Turkey’s western coastline.
Thera’s eruption is one of most significant natural disasters ever recorded. However, the remains of Thera victims have not been discovered.
Moreover, the presence of the tsunami deposits at Çeşme-Bağlararası show that large and destructive waves did arrive in the northern Aegean after Thera went up.
Based on evidence, it was assumed that the area in the Mediterranean had received only ash from Thera’s eruption.
Instead, it now appears that the Çeşme Bay area was struck by a sequence of tsunamis, devastating local settlements and leading to rescue efforts.
Thera — now a caldera at the centre of the Greek island of Santorini — is famous for how its tsunamis are thought to have ended the Minoan civilisation on nearby Crete.
Based on radiocarbon dating of the tsunami deposits at Çeşme-Bağlararası, the team believe that the volcano’s eruption occurred no earlier than 1612 BC.
Turkey has found the remains of two young men (pictured), and one dog that were both killed in a tsunami caused by an eruption of Thera volcano 3,600 years ago.
Archaeologists found the pair of skeletons during excavations at Çeşme-Bağlararası, a Late Bronze Age site near Çeşme Bay, on Turkey’s western coastline
Thera’s eruption is one of most significant natural disasters ever recorded. However, no remains of those who were affected by the catastrophe have been recovered. Pictured: part of the fortifications at the Çeşme-Bağlararası. You can see the bones of the dog on the wall. Below that is a shell rich muddy patch left by the first wave.
The presence of the tsunami deposits at Çeşme-Bağlararası show that large and destructive waves did arrive in the northern Aegean after Thera went up. Based on available evidence, it was previously assumed that only Thera’s ash fellout had reached this region of the Mediterranean. Below is a 2012 map showing the position of canine and human remians in the Late Bronze Age fortifications.
The study was undertaken by archaeologist Vasıf Şahoğlu of the University of Ankara and his colleagues.
‘The Late Bronze Age Thera eruption was one of the largest natural disasters witnessed in human history,’ the researchers wrote in their paper.
‘Its impact, consequences, and timing have dominated the discourse of ancient Mediterranean studies for nearly a century.
‘Despite the eruption’s high intensity and tsunami-generating capabilities, few tsunami deposits [have been] reported.
‘In contrast, descriptions of pumice, ash, and tephra deposits are widely published.’
Amid stratified sediments at the Çeşme-Bağlararası site, the researchers found the remains of damaged walls — once part of a fortification of some kind — alongside layers of rubble and chaotic sediments characteristic of tsunami deposits.
There were two layers, each thicker than others, of volcanic ash. A bone-rich layer contained charcoal and other charred materials.
The deposits are at most four tsunamis inundations that occurred consecutively, according to Thera’s team. Each one is separate, but all resulting from Thera’s eruption.
Tsunami deposits associated with the eruption are relatively rare — with three found near the northern coastline of Crete and another three along Turkey’s coast, albeit much further south than Çeşme-Bağlararası.
Amid stratified sediments at the Çeşme-Bağlararası site, the researchers found the remains of damaged walls — once part of a fortification of some kind — alongside layers of rubble and chaotic sediments characteristic of tsunami deposits. Photographed are the remains of the young male.
Two layers of volcanic Ash were found within these tsunami deposits. The second layer was thicker than that of the first. A bone-rich layer contained charcoal and other charred remains.
According to the team, the deposits (H1a–d in the above) represent at least four consecutive tsunami inundations, each separate but nevertheless resulting from the eruption at Thera
The young man’s skeleton — which shows the characteristic signatures of having been swept along by a debris flow — was found up against the most badly damaged portion of the fortification wall (pictured, centre), which the team believe failed during the tsunami
Traces of misshapen pits dug into the tsunami sediments at various places across the Çeşme-Bağlararası site represent, the researchers believe, an ‘effort to retrieve victims from the tsunami debris.’
‘The human skeleton was located about a meter below such a pit, suggesting that it was too deep to be found and retrieved and therefore (probably unknowingly) left behind,’ they added.
‘It is also in the lowest part of the deposit, characterized throughout the debris field by the largest and heaviest stones (some larger than 40 cm [16 inches]This can further complicate any retrieval efforts.
The young man’s skeleton — which shows the characteristic signatures of having been swept along by a debris flow — was found up against the most badly damaged portion of the fortification wall, which the team believe failed during the tsunami.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the full results of the study.
Traces of misshapen pits dug into the tsunami sediments at various places across the Çeşme-Bağlararası site represent, the researchers believe, an ‘effort to retrieve victims from the tsunami debris.’ The excavation site
Tsunami deposits associated with the eruption of Thera are relatively rare — with three found near the northern coastline of Crete and another three along Turkey’s coast, albeit much further south than Çeşme-Bağlararası
Thera’s eruption was the worst in Earth history. It destroyed Minoans who lived 60 miles from the volcano. Pictured, the volcano at the heart of Santorini — which used to be Thera — as seen in the present day