Roman rise and fall 'recorded in trees'

[dipsydoodle]

An extensive study of tree growth rings says there could be a link between the rise and fall of past civilisations and sudden shifts in Europe's climate.

A team of researchers based their findings on data from 9,000 wooden artifacts from the past 2,500 years.

They found that periods of warm, wet summers coincided with prosperity, while political turmoil occurred during times of climate instability.

>

"Looking back on 2,500 years, there are examples where climate change impacted human history," co-author Ulf Buntgen, a paleoclimatologist at the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape, told the Science website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12186245

[villager]

1. But but but... our species is immune from Communistic, Pagan "nature!"

n/t

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[pepperbear]

3. Agrarian societies, perhaps?

interesting.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. You find intimate links between climate...

...agricultural productivity, and political unrest right down to the time of Queen Victoria in the UK, and to the turn of the last century in France and Italy. Two consecutive bad harvests, is all it usually takes.

[jody]

4. Thanks! Most know nothing of dendrochronology & its contribution to paleoecology, archaeology, and

radiocarbon dating.

I was a forester in my earlier years and later an operations research scientist but still fascinated by all things nature.

[Riftaxe]

5. Darn Sports Utility Chariots (SUCs)

:)

[formercia]

7. Even the Railroad still use the width between the Chariot Wheels

as the with of the rails.

Rome isn't dead, their latest Caesar, Ratzo Maximus is still making trouble in the Provinces.

[pintobean]

8. Methane from the horses

Eating Beefarino supercharged them.

RUSTY!!!

[AlecBGreen]

9. *snort*

Is that the episode with the marble rye?

[guardian]

10. But But But But

How can that be?? Doomers tell me the climate NEVER changed until SUVs were invented. Any and all changes in rainfall, or above or below average seasonal localized temperatures MUST ALWAYS be the result of AGW. EVERY perceived unpleasant weather/climate effect is caused by AGW. Of course, perceived beneficial changes are always 'natural'.

After all, if climate changed in the past and climate is changing now, how can one discern the difference and assign cause? Oh I know: my grant money is based on stoking the fear flames of AGW.


p.s. to the OP...thanks for posting. You might find a current show on the Discovery channel interesting. It is titled "Why Ancient Egypt Fell". The show purports that a prolonged drought resulted the empire's collapse. This seems to be a somewhat common occurrence in history where significant and prolonged climate change resulted in the collapse of civilizations/regions. Everything from Mayan/Aztecs, Incas, European dark ages, ancient Egypt, early Jamestown, etc.

[pscot]

11. Have you been reading Jim Inhoff's speeches again?

Who knew there was big money to be made freezing your ass off in a tent on top of the Greenland ice sheet drilling ice cores?

[Nihil]

12. He's probably been writing them ...

:eyes: