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The Mystery Of The Dark Age's Global Climate Disaster | Catastrophe | Timeline

Timeline - World History Documentaries・2 minutes read

Around 1500 years ago, a catastrophic climate event occurred globally, leading to extreme weather conditions and crop failures, followed by David Keys and Mike Bailey's investigations into the cause, pointing towards a potential volcanic eruption from Krakatoa in 535 A.D. as the culprit. The mid-6th century climatic catastrophe, detailed by various historical records and scientific analysis, had far-reaching consequences on global civilizations, impacting tree growth, atmospheric conditions, and survival strategies.

Insights

  • A mid-6th century catastrophic climate event, supported by tree ring analysis and historical accounts, led to extreme cold, crop failures, and reliance on non-agricultural sources for survival globally.
  • The 6th-century climatic catastrophe is theorized to have been caused by a massive volcanic eruption around 535 A.D., possibly originating from Krakatoa, with evidence from ice cores showing a significant sulfuric acid spike and global impact.

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Recent questions

  • What caused the catastrophic climate event in the mid-6th century?

    The catastrophic climate event in the mid-6th century was theorized to be caused by an asteroid, comet, or volcanic eruption. The lack of a crater or significant coastal plant growth interruption suggested that an asteroid or comet strike might not have been the cause, leading to a focus on a volcanic eruption as a possible explanation. Scientists studied the atmospheric consequences of cosmic collisions, with asteroids and comets being potential causes of such catastrophic climate events.

  • How did the mid-6th century climate event affect tree growth?

    The mid-6th century climate event affected tree growth significantly, as revealed by Professor Mike Bailey's revolutionary computer system analyzing tree rings. The tree ring analysis showed a significant drop in growth in 536 A.D., indicating extremely cold weather for long periods. This extreme weather led to crop failures, forcing people to rely on non-agricultural sources for survival. The analysis highlighted the global impact of the climatic catastrophe on tree growth.

  • What evidence supports the theory of a volcanic eruption causing the mid-6th century catastrophe?

    The theory of a volcanic eruption causing the mid-6th century catastrophe is supported by various pieces of evidence. Ice core analysis revealed a major volcanic eruption around 535 A.D., confirmed by a significant spike in sulfuric acid. The eruption's global impact was evidenced by similar signals in ice cores from both Greenland and Antarctica. Additionally, tree rings and historical records pointed towards the effects of volcanic ash on the climate during that time period.

  • How did Mike Bailey's theory involve cometary debris in explaining the mid-6th century catastrophe?

    Mike Bailey's theory involved cometary debris as a potential explanation for the mid-6th century catastrophe. He proposed a fragmented comet scattering throughout the atmosphere, similar to the 1908 Tunguska event, as a potential extraterrestrial cause. Bailey believes that a shower of cometary debris impacting the climate could have caused a dust veil in the atmosphere, leading to the climatic consequences described in historical records. Mythological connections, such as those to King Arthur's legend, were used to support this theory.

  • Where did David Keyes and his team focus their search for the 6th century volcano responsible for the climatic catastrophe?

    David Keyes and his team focused their search for the 6th century volcano responsible for the climatic catastrophe in the area between Sumatra and Java, with a particular focus on Krakatoa as a potential culprit. By extracting ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica and analyzing them for chemical elements like iridium and sulfuric acid, they were able to narrow down the search to this region. The exploration of pyroclastic deposits from a major eruption of Krakatoa, possibly in the sixth century A.D., aimed to accurately date the event and confirm its historical impact.

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Summary

00:00

Global Catastrophe in Mid-6th Century: Investigating Causes

  • Around 1500 years ago, a catastrophic climate event occurred globally, with darkened sun, blood-colored rain, dust clouds, and two years of winter followed by drought, famine, and death.
  • David Keys, a history and archaeology writer, conducted a five-year investigation into this mid-6th century catastrophe, consulting over 80 experts and analyzing annals and chronicles from around the world.
  • Professor Mike Bailey's revolutionary computer system analyzed tree rings, showing that the mid-6th century experienced extreme weather conditions globally, affecting tree growth.
  • The tree ring analysis revealed a significant drop in growth in 536 A.D., indicating extremely cold weather for long periods, leading to crop failures and forcing people to rely on non-agricultural sources for survival.
  • Roman accounts from the 6th century, including those from Constantinople and Italy, described a dimming of the sun for 18 months, indicating a significant climatic event.
  • Records from civilizations in North and South China, Korea, and Japan also detailed the darkening of the sun and its consequences, highlighting the global scale of the catastrophe.
  • The cause of the climatic catastrophe was theorized to be an asteroid, comet, or volcano, with calculations suggesting a large impact would be needed to generate such long-lasting effects.
  • Scientists at Los Alamos studied the atmospheric consequences of cosmic collisions, with asteroids and comets being potential causes of such catastrophic climate events.
  • The lack of a crater or significant coastal plant growth interruption suggested that an asteroid or comet strike might not have been the cause, leading to a focus on a volcanic eruption as a possible explanation.
  • An alternative theory proposed by Mike Bailey suggested a fragmented comet scattering throughout the atmosphere, similar to the 1908 Tunguska event, as a potential extraterrestrial explanation for the mid-6th century catastrophe.

22:20

Cometary Debris Impact on Climate and King Arthur

  • Mike Bailey believes a shower of cometary debris could impact the climate by causing a dust veil in the atmosphere.
  • Bailey uses mythology to support his theory, linking King Arthur's legend to a climatic catastrophe in the 6th century.
  • The legends of King Arthur mention terrible blows from the skies, possibly symbolizing a comet's impact.
  • Arthur's origins are traced back to Celtic mythology, particularly to the god Lugh, associated with cometary characteristics.
  • David Keyes and his team extract ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica to study atmospheric changes over time.
  • The ice cores are analyzed for chemical elements like iridium to detect cometary debris or sulfuric acid from volcanic eruptions.
  • A major volcanic eruption around 535 A.D. is confirmed through ice core analysis, showing a significant sulfuric acid spike.
  • The eruption's global impact is evidenced by similar signals in ice cores from both Greenland and Antarctica.
  • The mid-6th century climatic catastrophe is attributed to volcanic ash, supported by tree rings and ice core data.
  • David Keyes narrows down the search for the 6th century volcano to the area between Sumatra and Java, focusing on Krakatoa as a potential culprit.

42:55

Krakatoa's Sixth Century Eruption: Charcoal Dating

  • The pyroclastic deposit from a major eruption of Krakatoa, possibly in the sixth century A.D., is being explored for charcoal to date the event accurately.
  • Despite challenges in finding charcoal due to the volcanic activity, 10 samples were collected, with the layer above the major eruption dated to 1215 A.D. and a layer below to 6600 B.C.
  • Analysis suggests a massive volcanic eruption around 535 A.D. from Krakatoa, causing global climatic catastrophe and significant historical impact.
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