"Along the Calabrian coastline, the tsunami run-up wave reached heights of up to 40 meters (131 feet). The coasts of Greece and Libya were impacted by waves up to 13 meters (43 feet) high, while the coast of Egypt, Syria and Israel were inundated by two- to four-meter (six- to 13-foot) high waves," Pareschi said.
She believes that it is possible that the now submerged Neolithic village of Atlit-Yam in Israel was abandoned because of the Etna tsunami impact.
The village shows evidence of a sudden evacuation, including 6,000 fish that had been gutted and stored for future consumption and trade but then left to rot.
Europe's top expert on volcano-generated tsunamis, geophysicist Stefano Tinti of Bologna University, described the study as interesting and credible, adding that the ancient event holds lessons for present-day dangers.
"Although there is absolutely no immediate risk for collapses similar to the one described by Pareschi, we should not forget the danger of island volcanoes," Tinto told Discovery News. "It is important to have constant monitoring and a tsunami warning system in the entire Mediterranean area."
