Past-Forwarding Ancient Calamities. Pathways for Making Archaeology Relevant in Disaster Risk Reduction Research

Abstract

Despite the alleged mastery of humans over nature, contemporary societies are acutely vulnerable to natural hazards. In interaction with vulnerable communities, these transform into catastrophes. In a deep historical perspective, human communities of many different kinds have been affected by numerous kinds of natural disasters that may provide useful data for scenario-based risk reduction measures vis-à-vis future calamities. The low frequency of high magnitude hazards necessitates a deep time perspective for understanding both the natural and human dimensions of such events in an evidence-based manner. This paper focusses on the eruption of the Laacher See volcano in western Germany about 13,000 years ago as an example of such a rare, but potentially highly devastating event. It merges Lee Clarke's sociological argument for also thinking about such very rare events in disaster planning and David Staley's notion of thinking historically about the future in order to 'past-forward' such information on past constellations of vulnerability and resilience. 'Past-forwarding' is here intended to signal the use of such deep historical information in concerns for contemporary and future resilience. This paper outlines two pathways for making archaeological information on past extreme environmental events relevant in disaster risk reduction: First, the combination of information from the geosciences and the humanities holds the potential to transform ancient hazards from matters of fact to matters of concern and, hence, to more effectively raise awareness of the issues concerned. Second, in addition to information on past calamities feeding into preparatory scenarios, I argue that the well-established outreach channels available to the humanities (museums, in particular) provide powerful platforms for communication to multiple publics.

Rediscovering lessons of adaptation from the past

“…Within archaeology and history, an increasing number of publications consider the use of historical data for scenario-based planning and risk reduction (Riede, 2014b(Riede, , 2017a(Riede, , 2017bKennett and Marwan, 2015;Rohland, 2017;Adamson et al, 2018). Many suggest that coupled climate models are required to understand human-environment interaction (Riede, 2014a;Palmer and Smith, 2014), but few focus on direct channels of engagement in existing GCR frameworks (Beckage et al, 2018).…”

“…In contrast, continental Europe was ill-prepared for the synergistic effects of the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, persistent winds towards Europe and limited crisis management (Alexander, 2013). This illustrates a key limitation of short-term datasets-they are unlikely to include synergistic or conjunctive impacts of low-frequency, high-magnitude events Riede, 2017b). Completed experiments of the past can, however, provide effective knowledge of far-reaching impacts on vulnerable social groups, critical infrastructure and resources systems.…”

The Dark Geo-Cultural Heritage of Volcanoes: Combining Cultural and Geoheritage Perspectives for Mututal Benefit

“…Its eruption sequence and associated processes such as the formation and subsequent collapse of a dam on the nearby river Rhine are well investigated (Park and Schmincke, 2009). Indeed, recent research motivated by a concern about the eruptions impact on human communities at the time has highlighted the extent of the tephra fallout from the eruption (Riede et al, 2011) and the likely impacts of this eruption on animals, plants and people living in Europe at the time (Riede, 2008;Riede, 2016;Riede, 2017a;Riede, 2017b). The Eifel is a recognised UNESCO Geopark (see https://www.geopark-vulkaneifel.de/en/), the Laacher See a beautiful recreational area (Fig.…”

“…9). Moreover, and perhaps more usefully still, the Laacher See can be used as a case study for seriously thinking through the societal consequences and responses to events of this magnitude and to do so in a manner that is historically informed by what we know of past impacts (Donovan and Oppenheimer, 2016;Riede, 2017a). A strategic and balanced inclusion of the Laacher See's dark heritage would likely further increase the region's and the eruption event's appeal and hence lift the reach of any associated educational initiatives up on a supra-regional scale.…”

Burning Libraries: A Community Response

“…Planners, scenario builders and resource managers have increasingly recognised the value of the longue durée in managing the present for the future (Braje 2010;Englehard et al 2015;Hudson et al 2012). The conceptual tool kit of Historical Ecology has now spread across multiple disciplines and represents a major force in applied archaeology and trans-disciplinary consilience approaches (Armstrong et al 2017;Moss et al 2006;Nelson et al 2016;Haldon et al 2018;Riede 2017;Schwindt et al 2016;West 2009). New analytic tools (including ancient DNA, stable isotopes, trace element analysis) combined with 'big data' sets accumulated through decades of fieldwork allowing for large scale integrative modelling and synthesis all have combined in the first decades of this century to provide archaeology with unprecedented capacity to engage with grand challenges with direct relevance to the future of our species and planet (Altschul et al 2017;Kintigh et al 2014aKintigh et al , 2014b.…”