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Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology
A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea
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Overview
Paper Summary
Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
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Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Salty Apocalypse? Meteor Meltdown in the Dead Sea?
The study suggests that Tall el-Hammam, a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley, was destroyed by a Tunguska-sized airburst around 1650 BCE. Evidence for this includes melted materials, shocked quartz, high salt concentrations, and diamond-like carbon, all suggesting an anomalously high-temperature, high-pressure event. The authors propose that this event, potentially recorded in oral tradition, may have inspired the biblical story of Sodom.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
The affiliations of the authors with various universities and research organizations that could potentially benefit from increased donations and student enrollments following the publicity of this research may represent a potential conflict of interest, although no direct financial benefits to the authors from the research itself were disclosed.
Identified Weaknesses
Reliance on Oral Tradition
The dependence on oral traditions passed down through generations introduces potential inaccuracies and biases. While oral traditions can hold valuable historical information, they are also subject to change and embellishment over time, making it difficult to determine the precise details of the original event.
Lack of Confirmed Crater
The lack of a confirmed impact crater weakens the impact hypothesis. While small craters could have been obscured by subsequent geological processes or lie undiscovered, the absence of definitive crater evidence leaves room for alternative explanations for the observed destruction.
Lack of Evidence for City-Wide Fire
The claim of a city-wide conflagration lacks specific evidence beyond ash and charcoal. While these materials indicate fire, the extent and intensity of the fire, as well as its role in the destruction, need further clarification.
Uncertainty Regarding Human Remains
The uncertainty surrounding the human remains, especially the missing 90% of the two skeletons found on the upper ring road, limits interpretations. The cause of death, the processes that led to their disarticulation and dispersal, and the fate of the missing remains need further investigation.
Uncertainty about Salt Influx
The high salt concentrations in the destruction layer, while suggestive of a salt water influx, lack definitive evidence linking it to the airburst/impact. Further investigation is needed to determine the source of the salt and the processes that led to its deposition.
Reliance on Hypothesized Models
The study relies on hypothesized models for the airburst, with insufficient evidence to conclusively determine the exact scenario. While the models are consistent with the observed evidence, the lack of precise data about the impactor's size, composition, and trajectory introduces uncertainty.
Speculative Connection to Sodom
The paper's discussion of a potential connection between the destruction of Tall el-Hammam and the biblical story of Sodom is speculative. While it's an intriguing possibility, the lack of definitive archaeological or textual evidence makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions.
Rating Explanation
The study presents a multidisciplinary investigation into the destruction of Tall el-Hammam, offering intriguing evidence supporting a cosmic airburst/impact event. However, several limitations, such as the lack of a confirmed crater and reliance on hypothesized airburst models, weaken the certainty of the conclusions. Additionally, the potential conflict of interest due to authors' affiliations necessitates careful consideration.
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File Information
Original Title:
A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea
File Name:
s41598-021-97778-3.pdf
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File Size:
23.18 MB
Uploaded:
July 14, 2025 at 06:48 AM
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