Geoarchaeological Evidence for the Decline of the Medieval City of Qalhat, Oman
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6095682 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alina Marie Ermertz, Miklós Kázmér (0000-0003-1092-1316), Silja Kerstin Adolph, Silja Kerstin Adolphs, Michaela Falkenroth (0000-0003-1705-1085), Gösta Hoffmann (0000-0002-2605-2672, Institute of Geosciences, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Publication date | 2019-09-27 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Open Quaternary (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2055-298X • E-ISSN: 2055-298X |
| Publisher | Ubiquity Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.5334/oq.56 |
| OpenAlex | W2977025903 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 41 |
The medieval city of Qalhat was an important trade town along the sea routes in the Indian Ocean. The reasons for the decline of the city are unclear, as the archaeological evidence is inconclusive. Geological field work was conducted and a digital elevation model analysed to test the hypothesis that the city was destroyed by an earthquake. The study area is located along the passive continental margin of the Arabian Plate. The coast shows a set of Pleistocene marine terraces. These landforms are in indication of lithosphere uplift. Faulted terrace fill deposits and deviating fluvial streams indicate rather recent lithosphere deformation. Processes responsible for the deformation are seen as subduction related forebulge uplift, serpentinite diapirism as well as isostatic response to karstification of limestone. We conclude that earthquake activity along the most prominent structural element, the Qalhat Fault, is a plausible reason for the decline of the medieval city
Archaeology · Continental Margin · Fault (geology · Geography · Geomorphology · Landform · Lithosphere · Passive margin · Pleistocene · Quaternary · Rift · Seismology · Subduction · Tectonics · Terrace (agriculture · earthquake and tectonic studies · Geological and Geophysical Studies Worldwide · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Geology · Paleontology
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| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2021 - 2024 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |