Throughout the later Middle Ages (AD 1000–1500), seismic catastrophes in Europe led to considerable losses of life as well as inevitable structural, infrastructural and economic damage. This paper provides an overview of the archaeological evidence for the reactions of medieval people to seismic disasters—tackling, in particular, the role of interpretation, belief and ideology in post-event counter-measures which can be glimpsed through the archaeological record. Three specific aspects are considered in detail: the rescue of earthquake victims in the ‘golden hours’ after a seismic disaster, the interpretation of the seismic event in the adoption of mitigative responses, and the use of symbols in pre- disaster protective technology. Ultimately, the paper reflects on how the archaeologist might analyse archaeological sites affected by natural disasters, emphasising the adop- tion of a more critical, interpretative and contextual approach in order to investigate relevant cognitive elements which contribute to the shaping of so-called local ‘seismic cultures’
Rituals of resilience. The interpretative archaeology of post-seismic recovery in medieval Europe
Forlin Paolo
2020
Abstract
Throughout the later Middle Ages (AD 1000–1500), seismic catastrophes in Europe led to considerable losses of life as well as inevitable structural, infrastructural and economic damage. This paper provides an overview of the archaeological evidence for the reactions of medieval people to seismic disasters—tackling, in particular, the role of interpretation, belief and ideology in post-event counter-measures which can be glimpsed through the archaeological record. Three specific aspects are considered in detail: the rescue of earthquake victims in the ‘golden hours’ after a seismic disaster, the interpretation of the seismic event in the adoption of mitigative responses, and the use of symbols in pre- disaster protective technology. Ultimately, the paper reflects on how the archaeologist might analyse archaeological sites affected by natural disasters, emphasising the adop- tion of a more critical, interpretative and contextual approach in order to investigate relevant cognitive elements which contribute to the shaping of so-called local ‘seismic cultures’I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
