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The Year The Sun Turned Black: The Volcanic Winter Of 536 AD | Catastrophe | Timeline

Timeline - World History Documentaries・59 minutes read

Around 1500 years ago, a catastrophic climate event occurred globally, leading to drought and famine due to extreme weather conditions. Research suggests a massive volcanic eruption around 535 A.D. by Krakatoa, causing significant changes in human history and climate worldwide.

Insights

  • A massive volcanic eruption around 535 A.D. by Krakatoa, equivalent to 2000 million Hiroshima-sized nuclear bombs, caused global climatic catastrophe, leading to darkness, drought, famine, chaos, and war, altering human history significantly.
  • The investigation into the mid-6th century catastrophe suggests a volcanic eruption, not extraterrestrial events like comet strikes, as the likely cause, supported by tree ring, ice core, and historical evidence from civilizations worldwide.
  • The Marib Dam's ruin post-535 catastrophe shifted power to Medina, where Prophet Muhammad was born, becoming a significant political center vital to early Islam's growth, highlighting the eruption's influence on shaping historical events.

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Summary

00:00

Global Catastrophe: Investigating the 6th Century Event

  • Around 1500 years ago, a catastrophic climate event occurred globally, with darkened sun, blood-colored rain, dust clouds, and extreme weather leading to drought, famine, and death.
  • David Keys, a history and archaeology writer, conducted a comprehensive investigation into this mid-6th century catastrophe, consulting over 80 experts and analyzing historical records.
  • Mike Bailey, a dendrochronologist, pioneered the use of tree rings to study climate changes, developing a computer program to analyze tree ring patterns for weather data dating back thousands of years.
  • Bailey's research revealed a significant decline in tree growth in the mid-6th century globally, indicating extremely cold weather conditions for an extended period.
  • The 536 A.D. Oak rings showed abnormal narrowness, suggesting frost damage and prolonged cold weather, leading to crop failures and harsh living conditions.
  • Written accounts from various civilizations, including the Roman Empire, China, Korea, and Japan, described unusual weather phenomena during the mid-6th century, supporting the tree ring evidence.
  • Theories of an asteroid, comet, or volcano causing the catastrophic climate event were explored, with calculations suggesting a large impact would be needed to create such long-lasting effects.
  • Scientists at Los Alamos studied the potential atmospheric consequences of asteroid or comet strikes, indicating the need for a significant impact to cause a decade-long climate catastrophe.
  • While no direct evidence of an impact event was found in the 6th century, the lack of a crater does not rule out the possibility, with the potential impact on oceans also considered.
  • The investigation into the mid-6th century catastrophe pointed towards a volcanic eruption as a possible cause, with extraterrestrial explanations like a comet strike deemed less likely based on available evidence.

22:21

Comet theory links to 6th-century climate catastrophe.

  • Mike Bailey proposed a theory to David Keyes about comet fragments causing atmospheric disturbances.
  • The 1908 Tunguska event was a single object air burst explosion, not a comet shower.
  • Mike Bailey suggested that a comet shower could impact climate by putting material into the atmosphere.
  • Bailey linked King Arthur's legend to a climatic catastrophe around 539-542 A.D., possibly caused by a comet.
  • Arthur's origins in Celtic mythology were tied to the Celtic god Lugh, possibly representing a comet.
  • Professor Hammer's team analyzed Greenland ice cores from the 530s A.D. for evidence of volcanic or cometary activity.
  • The ice cores showed a significant spike in sulfates, indicating a major volcanic eruption around 535 A.D.
  • Both Greenland and Antarctic ice cores displayed evidence of a massive volcanic eruption in the mid-sixth century.
  • The eruption caused global climate damage, as seen in tree rings and ice cores.
  • David Keyes narrowed down the search for the 6th-century volcano to the area between Sumatra and Java, focusing on Krakatoa as a potential culprit.

43:27

Dating Krakatoa Eruption: Charcoal Analysis Crucial

  • Sigurdson needs to find charcoal from the major eruption layer on the islands around Anak Krakatoa to get an exact date.
  • If unable to find charcoal from the major eruption layer, Sigurdson can narrow the margin by finding charcoal in the layers above and below.
  • Finding charcoal in the major pyroclastic deposit formed by a large eruption of Krakatoa in the 6th Century A.D is crucial for dating.
  • Sigurdson faces challenges in finding charcoal due to the lack of established vegetation from frequent volcanic activity.
  • During a fortnight in Krakatoa, Sigurdson only found 10 charcoal samples, unable to find a large enough sample from the major eruption layer.
  • Carbon dating analysis reveals that the layer above the major eruption is dated 1215 A.D, while a layer below is dated 6600 BC.
  • The results suggest a period of volcanic activity possibly spanning several thousand years, focusing on the first Millennium A.D for the major eruption.
  • David Keys' research indicates a massive volcanic eruption around 535 A.D by Krakatoa, causing global climatic catastrophe.
  • The eruption's power was equivalent to 2000 million Hiroshima-sized nuclear bombs, leading to drastic climatic changes and human history alterations.
  • The eruption's effects included a dust cloud enveloping the world, leading to darkness, drought, famine, and ultimately chaos and war, changing human history forever.

01:06:52

Horse vs. Cow: Battle for Survival

  • Hungarian plainsmen still use the riding saddles and mouth bits style of the others
  • The others possibly invented the Stirrup, giving them a military advantage due to their large concentration of horses
  • In 535 and 536, the Mongolian step faced harsh cold and dry conditions, affecting the others
  • The Turk economy, based on cattle, contrasted with the others' horse-based economy
  • John Milne's research highlighted the digestive differences between horse and cow dung
  • Cows' digestive efficiency and ability to consume various vegetation types gave them an advantage in harsh conditions
  • The others' vulnerability increased due to horses' inability to digest poor quality food during droughts
  • The avars, after being attacked by the Turks, embarked on a 4,000-mile journey westwards
  • The avars, recovering their horse technology, became conquerors again, dominating various tribes
  • The avars extracted vast amounts of gold from the Roman Empire, destabilizing it along with the plague and economic issues

01:28:59

Marib Dam: Shift in Power to Medina

  • Yemen faced climatic chaos post the 535 catastrophe, with drought and storms leading to the weakening of the Marib Dam.
  • The dam was repaired in 542 by various contributors, including the ruler Abraham, but inscriptions ceased after a few hundred years, indicating its abandonment.
  • The ruin of the Marib Dam shifted power to Medina, where Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 A.D., leading to the growth of Medina as a significant political center crucial to early Islam.
  • Muhammad's family's reputation for social concern aided his ministry during times of drought, famine, and plague, attracting followers in a period of upheaval.
  • The eruption of 535 caused climatic chaos, influencing the early evolution of Islam, and the potential impact of future volcanic eruptions, like Yellowstone Caldera, could lead to global disasters affecting agriculture, climate, and food supply worldwide.
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