I’ve long been fascinated with the link between the eruption/destruction of the volcano Thera and the collapse of Minoan civilization. The theory, first proposed in 1939, conjured up images of Atlantis (and was, in fact, touted as a possible origin of that tale).
The theory came under some serious fire in the 90s, as scientists concluded that the eruption occured some 150 years before Minoan civilization was believed to have collapsed. But new evidence indicates that not only was the Theran eruption far more cataclysmic than previously believed, its effects were far more widespread, and may have had profound, long-term climactic and agricultural effects on not just the Minoans, but their allies and traiding partners throughout the eastern Mediterranean — large enough effects to have sent the Minoans into a tailspin that ended a century and a half later.
Interesting stuff. Sometimes catastrophes do happen in slow motion.
(via Cronaca)