Environmental Archeology

23-1 JICA/JOCV

K.W.S. Malindi Marine Park

Takatoshi AKAI

Outline

• What is Environmental Archeology?

• Reasons ： The fall of the civilization

• Why Chinese Empire fallen many times?

• The fall of the Pompeii civilization

• The fall of the Maya Empire

• What about our world now?

• Conclusion

What is Environmental Archeology?

• To study how “the dawn, the progress and the fall, of the civilization” occurred under the certain environment.

• Archeologists use “Radiocarbon Dating Method” to find out when the found relic created.

“Radiocarbon Dating Method”

Time Passed

11460 year11460 yearpassedpassed

5730 year5730 yearCreatedCreated

Calculate amount of carbon(C14) in relic, then find out the era it created.

C14 in atmosphere

Half term-5730 year

C14 in relic

C14 in atmosphere is stable.Once organism stop metabolism

C14 reduce with time passed.

Amount of C14

① ① The WarThe War

② ② Natural DisasterNatural Disaster ③ ③ Culture / ReligionCulture / Religion

Case Study: Ancient ChinaQuiz : How many Chinese Dynasty exist?長江文明 BC14000黄河文明 BC7000夏朝 BC2070殷・商朝 BC1600周朝 BC1200春秋戦国 BC770秦朝 BC221漢朝 BC206三国 AD220晋 AD265隋朝 AD581

唐朝 AD618五代十国 AD907遼朝 AD947宋 AD960金朝（女真） AD1115元朝 AD1271明朝 AD1368清朝 AD1616中華民国 AD1949

Case Study: Ancient China• Until recent, China changed era by war due

to feudalism, or bad administration.

• Recent research found, era in China changed due to climate change.

• And it lead to “want of food”

Case Study: Pompeii / Italy

• 24 August in BC79• Eruption of Mt. Vesuvio• Pyroclastic flow hit town• 600 volcanic ashes called ℃

nueeardente swallowed town

People in Pompeii died due to environmental hazard!!

Case Study: Maya / C. S. America• Theory 1: People in Maya abandoned their

culture and removed somewhere due to their cultural belief.

• According to Maya calendar,

next judgment day is 23 Dec 2012.

• Structures were covered by plaster.

• All structures build on the slope.

• Therefore, once rain fall, water flow on plaster and gathered in one place.

What about Our World Now?• Archeologists usually consider the end of

civilization due to terrible governance or civil war.

• But, in terms of “the fall of the civilization”, climate change has important roll.

• Even today, the war occurs in the Middle East, to have an interest in a water business.

Gasoline \150/L in Japan

\ = Sh

Water \150/L in Japan

Conclusion• Environmental change such as natural

disaster, draught, climate change scarce our food and influence our civilization.

• Even today, the war occurs in the Middle East, to have an interest in a water business.