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Climate Change Triggered Social Unrest in Ancient Egypt: Study

October 18, 2017

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications suggests that revolts and social unrest were triggered by volcanic eruptions in other parts of the world, brought about by climate change. The paper demonstrates that changes in climatic conditions and natural disasters in the global north likely impacted the Nile watershed by slowing down the river’s flow. Failed harvests and frequent famines, in turn, led to socio-economic trouble and revolts against the ruling Ptolemaic state (305-30 BCE). The findings are based on research that combined ice core dating of ancient volcanic eruptions with papyrus records of political upheavals. It argues that almost every single time a volcanic eruption occurred during Egypt’s Ptolemaic era led to uprisings and socio-economic changes. “We started comparing [dates of revolts and eruptions], and it was amazing how the revolts were matching up exactly with the eruptions,” Yale University historian Joseph G. Manning, who led the project, said. “It shows there are real political and societal consequences to environmental changes like global warming and disasters,” he continued. “We act as if these things won’t affect us. But when you see how advanced civilizations of the past could at times be…


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