Archaeological Volcanology

Archaeological volcanology is the science that researches human interaction with volcanic eruptions, and specifically how human populations use cultural mechanisms to adapt to eruptions. It combines the fields and analytical methods of archaeology, a subfield of anthropology or history, and volcanology, a subfield of geoscience. This combination is necessary to fully understand the human–volcano relationship, a relationship that has been a part of human culture since the earliest days of our species and one that likely extends back to our pre-human ancestors. The very large number of environmental and cultural variables that manifest during an eruption can combine (and recombine) in unique and often unpredictable ways, making this a challenging undertaking. Insights gained through archaeological volcanology not only inform on human and volcano behavior, but also can be applied to modern disaster and hazards research, providing information to assist in the management of future disasters.