Holocene tsunamis from Mount Etna and the fate of Israeli Neolithic communities

Abstract

Field evidence reveals that the Neolithic village of Atlit-Yam (Israeli coast) was destroyed in an event which also caused the sudden death of tens of inhabitants. Archaeological evidence and numerical simulations support the notion that the village was destroyed, ~8.3 ka B.P., by a tsunami triggered by a known Holocene flank collapse of Mt. Etna volcano (Italy). The filling of a water well within the village confirms inundation by a tsunami wave train and a sediment layer, composed of a clayed-sandy matrix and other detritus including reworked marine sediment, indicates tsunami inundation. This scenario shows that tsunamis generated by sector collapses from coastal volcanoes can seriously threaten near-shore settlements thousands of kilometres distant from the tsunami source.