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Natural Catastrophes during Bronze Age Civilisations:
Archaeological, Geological and Astronomical Perspectives.

A conference at Fitzwilliam College. Cambridge. 11th-13th July 1997
Organised by The Society for Interdisciplinary Studies

Proceedings now available.

Speakers & Abstracts

The following speakers have agreed to present papers at the conference:
PROGRAMME

Friday, 11th July 1997
from 15.30Tea available
18.45Dinner in the Dining Hall
19.45Welcome Address: Prof Trevor Palmer (Nottingham Trent University and SIS Chairman)

Keynote Address: Robert Matthews, FRAS (Science Correspondent, The Sunday Telegraph)

Saturday, 12th July
8.00 - 8.45 Breakfast
Morning Session: ASTRONOMY
Chair: Dr Jasper Wall (Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge)
9.00 - 9.35Prof Mark Bailey (Armagh Observatory): Sources and Populations of Near-Earth Objects: Recent Findings and Historical Implications
9.35 - 9.45 Discussion
9.45 - 10.20Dr Bill Napier (Armagh Observatory): Cometary Catastrophes, Cosmic Dust and Ecological Disasters in Historical Times
10.20 - 10.30 Discussion
10.30 - 11.00Tea/coffee break
11.00 - 11.35Dr Duncan Steel (Spaceguard Australia): Before the Stones: Stonehenge I as a Cometary Catastrophe Predictor?
11.35 - 11.45 Discussion
11.45 - 12.20Prof Gerrit Verschuur (Memphis University): Our Place in Space: The Implications of Impact Catastrophes on Human Thought and Behaviour
12.20 - 12.45 Discussion
12.45 - 13.45Buffet lunch in the Dining Hall
Afternoon Session: ARCHAEOLOGY, GEOLOGY & CLIMATOLOGY
Chair: Prof Bill McGuire (University College London)
14.00 - 14.35Dr Marie-Agnes Courty (Institut Natinal Agronomique Paris-Grignon): Causes And Effects Of The 2350 BC Middle East Anomaly Evidenced By Micro-debris Fallout, Surface Combustion And Soil Explosion
14.35 - 14.45 Discussion
14.45 - 15.20Prof Mike Baillie (Queen's University Belfast): Tree-Ring Evidence for Environmental Disasters during the Bronze Age: Causes and Effects
15.20 - 15.30 Discussion
15.30 - 16.00 Tea/coffee break
16.00 - 16.35Dr Benny J Peiser (Liverpool John Moores University): Comparative Stratigraphy of Bronze Age Destruction Layers around the World: Archaeological Evidence and Methodological Problems
16.35 - 16.45 Discussion
16.45 - 17.20Dr Bruce Masse (University of Hawaii): Earth, Air, Fire and Water: The Archaeology of Bronze Age Cosmic Catastrophes
17.20 - 17.30 Discussion
17.30 - 18.05Dr Bas van Geel (University of Amsterdam): The Impact of Abrupt Climate Change around 2650 BP in NW-Europe: Evidence for Climatic Teleconnections and a tentative Explanation
18.05 - 18.15 Discussion
18.15 - 19.00Poster Presentations & Discussion
18.15 - 19.00Film (by Amos Nur and Chris MacAskill): The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Earthquakes in the Holy Land
19.00Evening Dinner
Sunday, 13th July
8.00 - 8.45Breakfast
Morning Session HISTORY & CULTURE
Chair: Brian Moore (SIS)
9.00 - 9.35Dr Victor Clube (Oxford University): Predestination and the Problem of Historical Catastrophism
9.35 - 9.45 Discussion
9.45 - 10.20Prof Bill Mullen (Bard College): The Agenda of the Milesian School: The Post-Catastrophic Paradigm Shift in Ancient Greece
10.20 - 10.30 Discussion
10.30 - 11.00Tea/coffee break
11.00 - 11.35Prof David Pankenier (Lehigh University): Heaven-sent: Understanding Disaster in Chinese Mythology and Tradition
11.35 - 11.45 Discussion
11.45 - 12.20Prof Gunnar Heinsohn (University of Bremen): The Catastrophic Emergence of Civilisation: The Coming of the Bronze Age Cultures
12.20 - 12.45Discussion
12.45 - 13.45 Lunch
Afternoon Session ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORY
Chair: Prof Trevor Palmer (Nottingham Trent & SIS Chairman)
13.45 - 14.20Prof Amos Nur (Stanford University): The Collapse of Ancient Societies by Great Earthquakes
14.20 - 14.30 Discussion
14.30 - 15.05Dr Euan MacKie (Hunterian Museum, Glasgow University): The End of the Upper Palaeolithic in the Dordogne and the 'Vitrified Forts' in Scotland
15.05 - 15.15 Discussion
15.15 - 15.50Prof Irving Wolfe (University of Montreal): The 'Kultursturz' at the Bronze Age - Iron Age Boundary
15.50 - 16.00 Discussion
16.00 - 16.10Benny J Peiser: Closing Address
16.10Tea/coffee & farewell

Poster Presentations

Prof Emilio Spedicato (University of Bergamo):
Evidence Of Tunguska-type Impacts Over The Pacific Basin Around The Year 1178 A.D.
Charles Raspil (New York):
Hints to the Nature of Bronze Age Catastrophe found in Ancient Art
Henry Zemel (New York):
Circling the Rings: A Conjecture about Solar Rings
Prof Lars Franzen (University of Goeteborg, Sweden) and Prof Thomas Larsson (University of Umea, Sweden):
Landscape analysis and stratigraphical and geochemical investigations of playa and alluvial fan sediments in Tunisia and raised bog deposits in Sweden - a possible correlation between extreme climate events and cosmic activity during the late Holocene.
Milton Zysman and Frank Wallace2
TAILS OF A RECENT COMET: THE ROLE COMETARY JETS PLAY IN CRUSTAL FORMATION


The SIS Cambridge conference brought together historians, archaeologists, climatologists and astronomers in order to discuss whether the 'giant comet' hyopothesis brought forward by neo-catastrophist astronomers such as Victor Clube, Bill Napier, Sir Fred Hoyle, David Asher, Mark Bailey, Duncan Steel et al. can be substantiated by the archaeological, climatological and historical record.

Conference Report
by Mark E. Bailey
From Meteorite Magazine, Nov 1997.

Archaeology and Geology

Ever since Claude Schaeffer published his book "Stratigraphie Comparee et Chronologie L'Asie Occidentale" in 1948, there has been continuous scientific debate about the nature and extent of the destructions of Bronze Age civilisations. Schaeffer claimed that the repeated collapses of Bronze Age cultures were not caused by the action of man but instead by seismic activity. During the last decade, eminent archaeologists have substantiated his claim and have linked destruction layers in Aegean and Near Eastern sites with natural disasters rather than with military conquests. The interpretation, however, which maintains that destruction layers are caused by seismic catastrophes, has been disputed due to the ambiguity of the stratigraphical record. The need for an accurate methodology of verifying the actual cause, extent and synchronicity of Bronze Age destructions is therefore essential.

Astronomy

Research in the field of astronomical neo-catastrophism and impact cratering has quickened its pace since the early 1980s. An increasing number of astronomers have suggested that a series of cosmic disasters punctuated the Earth in prehistoric times. Scholars such as Victor Clube, Bill Napier, Mark Bailey, Fred Hoyle, David Asher and Duncan Steel claim that a more 'active' and threatening sky might have caused major cultural changes of Bronze Age civilisations, belief systems and religious rituals. Can the astronomical evidence brought forward by these astronomers be substantiated by historical, archaeological and climatological evidence?

Culture

In light of new astronomical and archaeological theories and the emergence of scientific neo-catastrophism, it seems necessary to re-assess the origins and cultural implications of apocalyptic religions and catastrophe traditions in ancient mythologies and rituals. In particular, the significant cultural and religious changes at the beginning of the Bronze Age and those which occurred after its final collapse will be re-evaluated.

See also Comets and Disasters in the Bronze Age
by Benny Peiser
From BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY, Dec 1997.

Organising Committee

  • Prof Mark Bailey (Armagh Observatory)
  • Prof Trevor Palmer (Nottingham Trent University)
  • Dr Benny J Peiser (Liverpool John Moores University)
For further details, contact

Dr Benny J Peiser
Liverpool John Moores University
School of Human Sciences
Byrom Street
Liverpool L3 3AF
United Kingdom

Tel 0151-231 2490. Fax 0151 298 1261
Email:

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