Destruction and resilience at Panaztepe: archaeoseismological evidence for third-millennium BC earthquakes in Western Anatolia

Earthquakes and the destruction they wreak on communities and landscapes are regular features of both modern news output and historical accounts. Archaeology can add to our understanding of such disasters, demonstrated here in the discussion of architectural damage noted during recent excavations at Panaztepe, an Early Bronze Age settlement in Western Anatolia. Distinct destruction horizons illustrate the primary and secondary impacts of two earthquakes during the third millennium BC: the first was followed by reconstruction and adaptation, the second by abandonment. By focusing on evidence of seismic activity, the authors examine the resilience of communities inhabiting this geologically fragile region.