Evidence for Damaging Historical Earthquakes at Priene, Western Turkey

Authors : Erhan ALTUNEL

Pages : 25-36

View : 15 | Download : 5

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The ancient cilty of Priene was one of the earliest Ionian settlements within the western part of the Büyük Menderes valley insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(the ancient Maeander River); and was first founded about 8 km in the east of the present site. The old Priene was probably destroyed by a destructive earthquake in the 350s BC and the city was shifted to the existing place in 350 BC. The new city contains an abundance of evidence related to earthquakes. The following evidence indicates that damaging earthquakes, occurred in the Büyük Menderes graben, caused great damage to the new Priene. insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(1); Part of the Sacred Stoa is offset by about 5 cm dextrally and about 50 cm vertically; insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2); in the western end of the Sacred Stoa, stair blocks are displaced and tilted; insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(3); block stones of a N-S- trending street wall are displaced and tilted about 16° to north; insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(4); floor blocks of the agora are displaced and broken; insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(5); block stones of a semicircular building and two adjacent columns, near the nothwestern corner of the agora, are tilted up to 16° to north and insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(6); the lower column-shafts in the Temple of Athena broken all the way around on their bottoms. In addition, restoration of some public buildings insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(such as the agora, the theatre, street walls and water reservoirs); in the cilty centre in different times and renovation of the cult statue and the altar in the Temple of Athena indicate that the city was affected by damaging earthquakes at various times after it was rebuilt.
Keywords : Turkish J Earth Sci, 7, 1998, 25 36 Turkish J Earth Sci, vol 7, iss 1