Nature Communications (Oct 2017)

Volcanic suppression of Nile summer flooding triggers revolt and constrains interstate conflict in ancient Egypt

  • Joseph G. Manning,
  • Francis Ludlow,
  • Alexander R. Stine,
  • William R. Boos,
  • Michael Sigl,
  • Jennifer R. Marlon

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00957-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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The degree to which human societies have responded to past climatic changes remains unclear. Here, using a novel combination of approaches, the authors show how volcanically-induced suppression of Nile summer flooding led to societal unrest in Ptolemaic Egypt (305–30 BCE).