Study links 1640 volcanic eruption to Ming dynasty collapse

15. Juni 2026

Von KI berichtet

A new study suggests the 1640 eruption of Parker Volcano in the Philippines may have contributed to the fall of China’s Ming dynasty.

A paper published in the April issue of the scientific journal Climate of the Past proposes this view. It was written by Richard Warren of the Institute of History at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

The study notes that the eruption, some 3,850km from Beijing, could have triggered shifts in temperature and precipitation, raising the risk of droughts, floods and crop failures that worsened social instability.

Conventional accounts have attributed the Ming collapse to eunuch dictatorship, factionalism among officials, peasant uprisings and the rise of the Manchus. The research suggests adding natural catastrophe to the discussion.

World leaders offer aid after magnitude 7.8 Mindanao quake

8. Juni 2026 Von KI berichtet Bild generiert von KI

World leaders and partner governments expressed solidarity with the Philippines and signaled readiness to extend aid after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao on Monday.

New evidence challenges drought theory in Maya collapse

Scientists analyzing sediments from a lake near the ancient Maya city of Itzan in Guatemala found no signs of drought during the period of population decline around 800-900 CE. The study suggests the collapse resulted from interconnected regional crises rather than local climate failure. Itzan maintained stable rainfall while neighboring areas suffered droughts.

Historians challenge drought link to Roman Britain rebellion

2. April 2026 Von KI berichtet

Researchers are debating whether droughts triggered unrest in late Roman Britain during the so-called Barbarian Conspiracy of 367 AD. A study using tree ring data linked severe summer droughts in 364-366 to poor harvests and rebellion, but historians say the historical sources have been misinterpreted. The dispute underscores challenges in combining climate data with historical records.

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Stealth magma surge triggered earthquakes under Azores island

A massive body of magma surged upward beneath São Jorge Island in Portugal's Azores archipelago in March 2022, triggering thousands of earthquakes before stalling underground. The event, detailed in a new study, represented a failed eruption that raised but ultimately eased fears of volcanic activity.

Ancient DNA uncovers population replacement near Paris around 3000 BC

22. April 2026 Von KI berichtet

Genetic analysis of remains from a megalithic tomb near Bury, 50 kilometers north of Paris, reveals a complete population turnover around 3000 BC. The earlier group shared genetics with northern European farmers, while newcomers arrived from southern France and the Iberian Peninsula. Researchers link the shift to disease, environmental stress, and social changes.

Donnerstag, 11. Juni 2026, 14:05 Uhr