It definitely is an interesting question. Without any serious time to think about it, I'd have to say they probably took geological studies. Even in 1000 there were significant earthquakes, over time as technology improved they had to have started a geological scientific branch of the kingdom.
As for the mystics, they had to have been killed in the original attack by Lavos. He came out so close to where Medina was located in 1000 and 600 that there could be no way anything could have survived the assault near ground zero.