image: Project staff member recording broken medieval carved stone grave marker. view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Patrick Daly.
A study examines the remains of coastal settlements in Sumatra that were destroyed by a tsunami in the 14th century. Despite geological evidence that a tsunami hit the northern Sumatran coast in 1394 CE, little is known about how it affected coastal communities. Patrick Daly and colleagues found archaeological evidence of a 14th-century tsunami that destroyed nine low-lying coastal settlements in the same areas destroyed by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Only a settlement located on an elevated headland survived. Analysis of imported trade ceramics from Burma, China, Thailand, and Vietnam suggested that there was a major shift in the political economy of the region in the century following the disaster, from the headland site to the repopulated lowland settlements. Analysis of gravestones and ceramic sherds suggested an influx of traders from around the straits of Melaka into areas destroyed by the tsunami. In the early 16th century, these low-lying settlements formed the foundation of the Aceh sultanate. The capital of the Aceh sultanate became the modern city of Banda Aceh, where more than 150,000 people were killed by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Similar to the past, coastal areas have been repopulated, raising the likelihood of future large-scale disasters, according to the authors.
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Article #19-02241: "Archaeological evidence that a late 14th-century tsunami devastated the coast of northern Sumatra and redirected history," by Patrick Daly et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Patrick Daly, Nanyang Technological University, SINGAPORE; tel: +65-96752590; email: <patrickdaly@ntu.edu.sg>; Kerry Sieh, Nanyang Technological University, SINGAPORE; tel: +65-96745401; email: <sieh@ntu.edu.sg>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences