History, archaeology and the development of seismic culture: an exploration of earthquake hazard in Turkey
by
Jacqueline Homan
Department of Geography, University of Wolverhampton

The Eastern Mediterranean is a region of the world subject to high magnitude and frequently occurring seismic events, for which there is a comprehensive and lengthy historical record; indeed, it would be true to say that the earthquake catalogue for this region is bettered by very few places on earth. Recent research in Turkey has also indicated that local seismic cultures have historically prevailed, i.e. throughout history people have adapted buildings to try and reduce the risks from earthquake hazard; this evidence comes from archaeology. This paper seeks to present this material in order to understand the social and cultural adaptations to earthquake hazard in Turkey in their historical context, but also in terms of their possible contribution to reducing the impacts of earthquake disaster on the contemporary population. This is particularly important given the huge losses in recent events, such as the August 17, 1999, Izmit earthquake, and the identified threat posed to Istanbul in the near future.

Date received: March 5, 2002