La recherche des séismes du passé proche et lointain par l’apport combiné des sciences de la nature et des sciences historiques

In a previous paper published in 2008, we attempted to characterize the contributions of different scientific disciplines mostly used to investigate past earthquakes, based on the sources of information employed and not on the age of the investigated event, as it is commonly done in the literature. We also emphasized differences among them in terms of their different (potential) contribution, their pros and cons as well as their limitations. In the present note, we reappraise the topic and add new evidence, which includes oral traditions, whose interest in the study of past earthquakes (or volcanic eruptions) is now well established. Indeed, oral traditions on this issue have been documented for the region that we have investigated in detail, Thessaly, as reported by the historian Herodotus and the geographer Strabo. The information we could obtain by analysing their texts further supports other archaeological and historical data available especially for the hydrographic basin of the Titarissios River, within the north western sector of Thessaly. Accordingly, the seismic sequence that affected the area in March 2021, is compared with the past seismic behaviour of the region and a physical model is suggested.