The role of earthquakes, landslides and climate changes on the abandonment of the Roman Carsulae site (Tevere basin- Central Italy).

Abstract

A detailed archaeoseismological and geoarchaeological study performed in the archeological site of Caursulae, located at the base of Martani Mts, indicates that at least one earthquake occurred in the middle of the third century AD. Evidence of this earthquake comes from an inscription found near the investigated. This event which is not reported in the seismic catalogue did not cause any damage at the site. This study, despite provides a new data on seismic history of Umbria region, shows that the archaeological site of was not abruptly abandoned because of earthquakes or landslides triggered by earthquakes, but it suffered a slow abandon induced by a progressive impoverishment of the groundwater table with consequent reduction of water supplying to the whole town.