Archaeoseismology

Archaeoseismology is the study of ancient earthquakes by analysis of archaeological sites before Robert Mallet's protomodern seismology in the mid-19th century. Such analyses reveal information about seismic events that was not historically recorded before the advent of seismometers in the late 19th century. Such data can also help to document seismic risk in areas subject to brutally destructive earthquakes. In 1991, an international conference in Athens marked the beginning of modern research in the field of archaeoseismology, described as a "study of ancient earthquakes, and their social, cultural, historical and natural effects".