LeBrok
Elite member
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Here is a map of temperature in Europe for last 2,000 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...man-Medieval-times-modern-industrial-age.html
This map shows that height of Roman Empire happened in a very warm period. The decline of empire though, and worst part of Dark Ages coincided with cold/little Ice Age period.
Next, Medieval Warm period stands behind Europe coming out of Dark Ages, Italian cities flourishing again, big cathedrals being build, Viking expansions.
Around 1300 cold comes again, coupled with plagues devastating populations till around 15 hundreds and the Renaissance when became somewhat warmer.
I suppose the last few hundred years are not that warm (except 20th century) to justify recent population and civilization growth, but after year 1500 extraordinary things happened in Europe. Europeans conquered most of the world and could compensate for bad crops (due to cold weather) with food supply from colonies, not mentioning other economic benefits.
This extra wealth was also behind more money spent in England on science and new technologies, which kick started technological revolution. In 20 century, technology became perpetum mobile, in self sustained cycle of improvement. Better technology = more food = more people = creating more technology = growing more food = even more people, etc, etc. The positive feedback effect.
In conclusion, I can see that warmer climate was the most responsible force behind food production, therefore population density, which correlates nicely with times of prosperity in Europe. Likewise cold climatic events were responsible for decline in food production, famine, plagues causing decline in population density and poverty.
I know we love to blame moral decline, extensive greed, inequality, paganism, witches, devil, or some weird cycles causing fall of empires or civilizations. The truth is more prosaic. In the past good weather equaled plenty of food, good life and prosperity, and vice versa. It didn't matter if king was a despot or gay, or if people prayed every day or not.
PS. It would be nice to find wet/dry cycle map to complement the temps map, although I don't think it exists yet.
Sometimes things like on map below could have happened in the past. Let's say, causing more food production in the north and increasing populations (more warriors) when south could face dry few decades and economic ruin. Could have been behind Germanic and Slavic expansions.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...man-Medieval-times-modern-industrial-age.html
This map shows that height of Roman Empire happened in a very warm period. The decline of empire though, and worst part of Dark Ages coincided with cold/little Ice Age period.
Next, Medieval Warm period stands behind Europe coming out of Dark Ages, Italian cities flourishing again, big cathedrals being build, Viking expansions.
Around 1300 cold comes again, coupled with plagues devastating populations till around 15 hundreds and the Renaissance when became somewhat warmer.
I suppose the last few hundred years are not that warm (except 20th century) to justify recent population and civilization growth, but after year 1500 extraordinary things happened in Europe. Europeans conquered most of the world and could compensate for bad crops (due to cold weather) with food supply from colonies, not mentioning other economic benefits.
This extra wealth was also behind more money spent in England on science and new technologies, which kick started technological revolution. In 20 century, technology became perpetum mobile, in self sustained cycle of improvement. Better technology = more food = more people = creating more technology = growing more food = even more people, etc, etc. The positive feedback effect.
In conclusion, I can see that warmer climate was the most responsible force behind food production, therefore population density, which correlates nicely with times of prosperity in Europe. Likewise cold climatic events were responsible for decline in food production, famine, plagues causing decline in population density and poverty.
I know we love to blame moral decline, extensive greed, inequality, paganism, witches, devil, or some weird cycles causing fall of empires or civilizations. The truth is more prosaic. In the past good weather equaled plenty of food, good life and prosperity, and vice versa. It didn't matter if king was a despot or gay, or if people prayed every day or not.
PS. It would be nice to find wet/dry cycle map to complement the temps map, although I don't think it exists yet.
Sometimes things like on map below could have happened in the past. Let's say, causing more food production in the north and increasing populations (more warriors) when south could face dry few decades and economic ruin. Could have been behind Germanic and Slavic expansions.

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