Управо сам на Viasat History каналу гледао једну из серије емисија о утицају климатских промена на човечанство. Тема ове емисије су била дешавања из 6. века, када се десила велика природна катастрофа која је, процењује се, усмртила трећину човечанства, а посебно је погодила Византију. Научници кажу да је узрок тих климатских промена била ерупција неког великог вулкана 536. године, верују да се ради о вулкану Кракатау у Индонезији. Пепео и сумпор из вулкана изазвали су еколошку катастрофу и глад на читавој планети, а у Европи, најжешће у Византији, је 541. године избила катастрофална епидемија куге. Наравно, несрећа никада не иде сама, па су се на то сигурно надовезале и многе друге недаће. Ето, дакле, шта је главни (вероватно не и једини) разлог депопулације Балкана непосредно пре почетка насељавања Словена.
Spomen i nečega interesantnog na ovoj temi u gomili alhemijskih bulažnjenja i meskalinskih monologa...
O bottlenecku u evropskoj populaciji i drugim globalnim posledicama erupcije Krakataua 535-536. godine David Keys je napisao kontraverznu knjigu
Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization, u kojoj je pokušao da brojne prelomne događaje iz 6. i 7. veka, od avarsko-slovenske invazije do rađanja islama, prikaže kao direktnu ili indirektnu posledicu vulkanske katastrofe u Indoneziji. Argumentacija i obrazloženje uzročne veze između pomenute prirodne katastrofe i globalnih istorijskih kretanja nisu sasvim ujednačeni i brojni događaji koji su, po Keysu, proistekli kao posledica erupcije ne mogu se bez debelog ostatka svesti na nju kao bitniji uzrok. Ipak, knjiga obiluje dobrim idejama i korisnim informacijama pa je preporučujem za čitanje (nije prevedena, ali -
http://lib.free-college.org/view.php?id=866751).
Timeline ključnih događaja prema Keysovoj katastrofičkoj teoriji:
Roman Empire
535 AD- Procopius writes of a year with no sunshine.
536 AD- Slavic invasions of Roman territory, sparked by Slavic poitical instability.
541-3 AD- Justinian Plague.
545 AD- Second Slavic invasion.
550 AD- Third Slavic invasion.
557 AD- the resurgent Avar reach Eastern Europe.
558 AD- Slavs, displaced by Huns (and indirectly by the Avar), invade Roman territory.
568 AD- Avar now control Eastern Europe
578 AD- Avar capture Sirmium. Romans now paying regular tribute to the Avar.
608 AD- Civil war spaked by Phocas.
626 AD- Constantinople surrounded by Avar, Slavs and Persians.
630 AD- recovery under Heraclius.
Britain
535- 555 AD- Dendrochronology records indicate a 20-year period of intense bad weather.
547 AD (or 549 AD)- Maelgwyn Hir dies of plague.
549 AD- Annals of Ulster record plague killing kings.
552 AD- Cynric's Saxons take Old Sarum. After a 40-year stalemate, Saxons push west.
550's- Rise of the Ui Neill in Ireland
577 AD- Battle of Dyrham. Ceawlin conquers British kingdom of Dumnonia. Saxons control England.
France
536 AD- Lothar (Merovingian) saved due to battle being interrupted by giant hailstones.
Spain
535-547 AD- three Visigoth kings assassinated in political turmoil
550 AD- Cordoba revolts against Visigoths.
555 AD- rise of Roman Spain.
China
535AD- "There was twice the sound of thunder"- Nan Shi chronicle.
535AD- Drought, famine "yellow dust rained down like snow" (from the Nan Shi Chronicle).
536 AD- Falls of yellow dust recorded in Sui-Shi chronicle (Southern China). Bei Shi annals report famines and cannibalism in Northern China.
537 AD- Nan Shi chronicle records Frosts and snow in August.
538- 551 AD- Tax amnesty in place due to widespread famine. Tax system collapses.
541 AD- Li Fen revolt around Hanoi area.
540's- Revolts in Northern China in the face of droughts and famine.
547 AD- Hou Jing (Northern General) defects to South, but is betrayed. Starts a major rebellion in the South.
548 AD- Hou Jing captures Southern capital Jiankang (Nanjing). Southern China begins to disintegrate.
575 AD- Northern state of Zhou attacks the South.
581 AD- Sui Dynasty begins in Northern China.
588 AD- North Chinese empire conquers Southern China. Re-unification of China.
South-East Asia
535AD- The Pustaka Raja Purwa chronicle records "a mighty roar of thunder" coming from a mountain in the Sunda Straits, that separates Java from Sumatra.
Mongolia/Steppes
545AD- Turkish revolt against Avar
552AD- Avar leave Mongolia and head West.
Rise of Qarluq Turkish empire on the steppes.
985 AD- Oghuzi (Seljuk) Tuks convert to Islam.
Korea
535-536AD- Massive storms and flooding recorded in the Korean history (the Samguk Sagi)
535 AD- Kingdom of Silla converts from paganism to Buddhism. Launches on an expansionist policy.
536 AD- start of the Konwon era ("the initiated beginning").
550- 576 AD- Silla territories triple in size.
675 AD- Korean unification under Silla.
Japan
536 AD- Nihonshoki chronicle records famine and terrible cold weather. Also plague (believed to be smallpox or measles).
538 AD- King Senka allows the Soga clan to convert to Buddhism as an experiment in the face of climactic upheaval.
540AD- Nihonshoki chronicle suggests increased immigration from Korea. Entries also suggest that Japan less troubled by famine than Korea and China. However, pestilence increases and is blamed on Buddhism. King Senka is assassinated (first royal assassination in Japanese history).
540's- King Kimmei is backed by the Soga clan.
587- Soga clan massacre the anti-Buddhist Mononobe clan.
580- Soga clan murders King Sujun. The pro-Soga Suiko is placed on the throne. Buddhists control Japan. Birth of proto-modern Japan.
South/Central America
535- 565AD- 30 years of drought. Skeletons recovered from Teotihuacan demonstrate signs of malnutrition and an abnormally short life expectancy. Teotihuacano civilisation declines. In South America, the Nasca culture declines too.
In the aftermath of the droughts, widespread irrigation projects take place- a key factor in the later growth of the Huari and Inca empires.
North America
Dendrochronology reveals near-zero tree growth in 536 and 542-3. Tree growth does not resume normal levels until 557AD.
Africa
Conjecture- increased rainfall causes surge in rodent population.
Mid 6th century- abandonment of the "great Metropolis" of Rhapta in west Africa (near Lake Victoria).
Middle East
c. 536-540 AD- Ibn Ishaq (writing 150 years laters) records severe famine in Mecca, relieved by Amr (grandfather of Mohammed) obtaining food from as far afield as Syria. This was also reported by the 6th century poet Wahb ibn Abd Qusayy.
540 AD- Plague hits the Saba civilisation in Yemen.
540's- Plague spreads across Arabian peninsula.
c. 545 AD- Marib Dam bursts after ten years of silting (18 times higher levels than the preceding century).
c. 555 AD- Marib Dam burst again. Irrigation complex largely abandoned. City of Marib unable to feed its population, population levels falling by 80% in next 40 years. Saba civilisation goes into decline. Power vacuum in the area.
575 AD- Birth of Mohammed.
610AD- Beginning of Mohammed's ministry.
Summaries of key events (according to 535 Catastrophe theory)