Empirical analyses of impacts on remains caused by sediment discharges: Case of Hiroshima heavy-rain-induced sediment-related disaster in 2014

Abstract

Natural hazard mitigation has been enlarged to incorporate preservation of cultural properties as the objects, in addition to lives and properties. Studies on historical documents have suggested that former generations seem to have followed better ways when it comes to land use, indicating “ancient wisdom.” It is essential to accumulate empirical analyses on how remains perform as witnesses in time of natural hazards. The city of Hiroshima is well known for its chronicle sediment-related hazards, it faced another large sediment-related disaster in 2014 with 77 casualties. There are 384 ruins in the studied area, of which 138 had been wiped out by modern development. Among the remains, nine sites were located in the area flooded by sediment. Examination of the tumuli shows that the impacts were either minor or inexistent. It is safe to say that archeological surveys could provide useful clues both for evacuation planning and for facility installation.