The role of earthquakes, landslides and climate changes in the abandonment of the Roman Carsulae site (Tevere basin – Central Italy)

A detailed archaeoseismological and geoarchaeological study performed in the archeological site of Carsulae, located at the base of Martani Mts, indicates that at least one earthquake occurred in the middle of the third century AD. Evidence of this earthquake comes from an inscription. This event, which is not reported in the seismic catalogue, did not cause any damage at the site.This study, despite providing new data on the seismic history of Umbria, shows that the archaeological site was not abruptly abandoned because of earthquakes or landslides triggered by earthquakes. It suffered slow abandonment induced by a progressive impoverishment of the groundwater table with consequent reduction of water supply to the town.