Ancient Japanese populations survived a mega volcanic eruption in the ocean 7,300 years ago

A volcano erupted on the seafloor near southern Japan thousands of years ago, triggering powerful earthquakes and huge tsunamis. A new study has revealed what happened to the people living in regions closest to the place of impact and whether those in far-off locations escaped unscathed by it.

The Kikai-Akahoya eruption was one of the largest of the last 11,700 years. Several meters of ash covered the land, but no one knows exactly what happened after this. Jomon hunter-gatherers lived in this place. Did they all die? For the past several decades, scientists have believed that the powerful explosion killed everyone near the site. Few others claimed that it was not total annihilation.

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Place where life was wiped out

According to an international study led by Lund University, none of the scenarios is true. The team used statistical models to track population changes across Japan. They noted that in Southern Kyushu, the Jomon population was already shrinking before the disaster. The eruption led to an imminent collapse that was already in the works.

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Coastal population expanded

Northern Kyushu presented a picture of resilience. Here, the population kept growing through the eruption and for years after it. The area also took a beating from the eruption, yet it witnessed a spurt. Scientists say this is likely because people from inner regions fled towards the northern coasts. The marine ecosystem bounced back faster, where people built new ways of life.

Far-off regions were affected the most

However, the most distant parts of Japan witnessed the population stalling and ultimately shrinking later. This could have been because of the climate change from the ash and smoke, which likely affected people's health. Wild boar and deer populations also shrank as chewing on abrasive, ash-covered ground caused loss of teeth. They ultimately died from not being able to eat. This led to loss of food for the Jomons who depended on the animals to ease their hunger.

Human resilience can help them survive any situation

Lead author Enrico Crema of Cambridge University says the volcanic disaster caused major loss of life. However, the findings show that humans are capable of adapting and thriving even through the worst phases, as survivors migrated and formed new social ties. They found new ways of living even as the landscape altered. The study shows that while some regions collapsed and others grew, there were places far from the disaster that also took an unexpected beating.