Geophysical processes and biosphere: article

Аnnotation: This article is about the study of seismic deformations in the walls of ancient structures of Belinskoe settlement on Kerch Peninsula, a border fortress and a city of the Bosporan Kingdom. A distinctive feature of this work is the combination of a field archaeoseismological survey of ancient fortress archaeological ruins, the study of archival archaeological materials and field geophysical work on the site and its immediate surroundings. As a result it was possible to obtain an objective seismic history of Belinskoe settlement, describe previously unknown earthquakes and date some of them with an accuracy of half a decade. It was possible due to the unique for Crimean archeology combination of methods of field archeology, archeoseismology, paleoseismology, seismotectonics and geophysics. There are traces of three catastrophic earthquakes. The first disaster dates by the time before the foundation of the fortress (not earlier than the beginning of the II century). Its epicentral zone locates on the site and in its local area. The second earthquake dates by the 3rd quarter of the III century with intensity Il ≥ IX points (MSK-64 scale). The epicenter was located on the territory of Belinskoe settlement and, probably, in its local area. This earthquake occurred either immediately after the destruction of the fortress during military operations at the end of the 1st building period, or it formed a background for the military catastrophe. The third earthquake dates between 318 and 322 and coincides with the end of the 2nd building period of the site history. Epicentral zone of this earthquake locates on the territory of the site, where the seismic focus came to the surface. The magnitude of the earthquake was M = 7.0(±0.5), and the intensity Il ≥ IX points (MSK-64 scale).