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Late Bronze Age Collapse: Difference between revisions
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=== Climate change & drought === | === Climate change & drought === | ||
* worldwide drought and cooling conditions prevailed from | * worldwide drought and cooling conditions may have prevailed throughout the period | ||
** the Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch lasted from 1800-1500 BC | |||
*** likely made more severe by major volcanic eruptions, including Thera in Greece (1620 BC) | |||
**** which largely contributed to the collapse of the Minoans, Middle Kingdom Egypt, | |||
* the Hekla 3 volcanic eruption in Iceland accelerated the cooling and/or caused a period of cooling and dryness | |||
** dated at 1021, 1135 or 1159 BC | |||
** drought & famines recorded in Egypt in 1159 BC may mark the eruption | |||
** one of the most powerful eruptions since the end of the Ice Age | |||
** it cast ash across the atmosphere, blocking or partially blocking sunlight across the Northern hemisphere for possibly up to four years | |||
*** such volcano-caused climatic events are called "volcanic winters" | |||
** regardless, the BAC had started before the eruption | |||
* impacts of droughts & cooling: | |||
** crop failure leads to | |||
*** famine | |||
*** trade decline | |||
*** social unrest | |||
** changes in vegetation and/or forest cover impact animals and herding | |||
** migration | |||
*** causes competition over land | |||
*** puts pressure on food supplies | |||
*** fighting, raiding, unrest | |||
** political instability | |||
*** in larger ancient societies, the legitimacy of central rule is derived from divine authority (of the gods) | |||
*** therefore, if there are problems, the rulers are seen as having lost the favor of the gods and thus their authority | |||
=== Metallurgy technologies (cast bronze & iron-making) === | === Metallurgy technologies (cast bronze & iron-making) === | ||