Did a volcanic eruption trigger ancient climate change?

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SUMMARY

The volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 535 AD is identified as the primary catalyst for significant climate change that led to the Dark Ages. Historical records, including those from Byzantine historian Procopius and Syrian bishop John of Ephesis, document a period of solar darkening and subsequent global cooling, resulting in widespread droughts, crop failures, and the bubonic plague. Ice core samples reveal traces of sulfate ions, supporting the volcanic eruption theory over other catastrophic events. This climate shift is linked to the destabilization of empires and significant population declines across various regions, including the Roman Empire and the Gupta Empire in India.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of historical climate events and their impacts
  • Familiarity with volcanic activity and its climatic effects
  • Knowledge of historical sources and their interpretations
  • Basic comprehension of ice core sampling and analysis
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of the 535 AD Krakatoa eruption on global climate patterns
  • Study the historical accounts of Procopius and John of Ephesis for insights into the Dark Ages
  • Examine ice core data for volcanic sulfate traces and their implications
  • Investigate the relationship between climate change and the spread of the bubonic plague
USEFUL FOR

Historians, climatologists, archaeologists, and anyone interested in the interplay between volcanic activity and historical climate change.

  • #31
http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/artwho/incest.htm

Vortigern

From wiki.

The first writer to tell the story of Vortigern was the sixth century historian Gildas, writing his De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae ("On the Ruin and Conquest of the Britains") in the first decades of the 6th century. He tells us (chapter 23) how "all the councillors, together with that proud usurper [omnes consiliarii una cum superbo tyranno]" made the mistake of inviting "the fierce and impious Saxons" to settle in Britain. According to Gildas, apparently a small group came at first, and was settled "on the eastern side of the island, by the invitation of the unlucky (infaustus) king". This small group invited more of their countrymen to join them, and the colony grew. Eventually the Saxons demanded that "their monthly allotments" should be increased, and when their demands were eventually refused, broke their treaty and plundered the lands of the Romano-British.
 
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