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A catastrophe remembered: a meteorite impact of the fifth century AD in the Abruzzo, central Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Roberto Santilli ,
Jens Ormö ,
Angelo P. Rossi  and
Goro Komatsu
Roberto Santilli
Affiliation:
Via Dell'Aia 31, 67029 Secinaro, Italy, (Email: rsantilli@sirente-meteorite.org)
Jens Ormö
Affiliation:
Centro de Astrobiología, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacíal, Ctra de Torrejón a Ajalvir, km 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain,(Email: ormo@inta.es)
Angelo P. Rossi
Affiliation:
International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d'Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
Goro Komatsu
Affiliation:
International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d'Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy
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Abstract

A meteorite impact crater in the Sirente mountains, central Abruzzo has recently been dated to the four/fifth century AD. The author shows that this catastrophic event can be equated with a locally preserved legend which describes how local people saw a new star fall to earth during a pagan festival. Their conversion to Christianity was expeditiously effected … .

Keywords

Italymeteoriteimpact craterSirenteSuperaequumChristianity
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 77 , Issue 296 , June 2003 , pp. 313 - 320
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2003

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