Feb 11, 2023 08:43 PM
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05693-y
INTRO: The ancient Anatolian empire of the Hittites mysteriously collapsed more than 3,000 years ago. Now, researchers find that climate change could have played a part.
A study that ties together climate observations and human history suggests that a three-year drought in central Anatolia from 1198 to 1196 bc contributed to the demise of the empire’s capital, Hattusa, perhaps dooming the civilization.
The study, published in Nature on 8 February, found reduced tree growth in central Anatolia, which the authors attribute to a decrease in local rainfall during the twelfth century bc. They identified three consecutive years of drought from 1198 to 1196 bc — rare but not unheard of in the central Anatolian climate — which synchronize with the abandonment of the Hittite capital and the fall of the empire... (MORE - details)
INTRO: The ancient Anatolian empire of the Hittites mysteriously collapsed more than 3,000 years ago. Now, researchers find that climate change could have played a part.
A study that ties together climate observations and human history suggests that a three-year drought in central Anatolia from 1198 to 1196 bc contributed to the demise of the empire’s capital, Hattusa, perhaps dooming the civilization.
The study, published in Nature on 8 February, found reduced tree growth in central Anatolia, which the authors attribute to a decrease in local rainfall during the twelfth century bc. They identified three consecutive years of drought from 1198 to 1196 bc — rare but not unheard of in the central Anatolian climate — which synchronize with the abandonment of the Hittite capital and the fall of the empire... (MORE - details)
