We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
WHILE THE CELTIC Tiger may now be reflected on forlornly in the knowledge that it sowed the seed for years of austerity – it seems that its legacy may hold one benefit.
The high level of digging during the Boom to facilitate building projects has made Ireland a hot spot for archaeological excavations.
Thanks to this, researchers from a number of universities across the UK and Ireland, including University College Cork and Queen’s University in Belfast, have discovered that a huge population drop that occurred in the Bronze Age was NOT related to climate change.
Population drop
The new research shows that a population drop that occurred after 900BC and increased rapidly from 800BC was not – as had previously been thought – tied to colder, wetter conditions, which are now believed to have occurred two or three generations later.
In conducting their research, the team involved referenced climate records from peat bogs in Ireland, compared these with archaeological records and then cross referenced them to climate change information available for Europe for between 1,200 and 500BC.
Instead, it is now thought that the real reason for the population drop was social and economic stress.
Conditions of the day would have seen those producing bronze required to travel large distances to trade their wares for copper and tin – something that led to the ascension of a warrior class, and made survival difficult.
The later drop in temperature meant that population figures did not recover for a long period of time.
Significance today
The results are particularly significant for climate change researchers in relation to their historical impact on climate change.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Dr. Katharina Becker from University College Cork, said:
I think it just demonstrates that we cannot make simplistic equations when we are not sure about the timing of events. It is through fine grained chronological analysis can we look at how human developments relate to climatic events.
Also speaking about this, Professor Ian Armit from the University of Bradford, said:
“The impact of climate change on humans is a huge concern today as we monitor rising temperatures globally.
Often, in examining the past, we are inclined to link evidence of climate change with evidence of population change. Actually, if you have high quality data and apply modern analytical techniques, you get a much clearer picture and start to see the real complexity of human/environment relationships in the past.
This research included environmental scientists and archaeologists from University College Cork, the University of Bradford, the University of Leeds and Queen’s University Belfast.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Another nail in the PC BS climate change coffin.
I’m confused
PS we have lots of oil for sale here in UAE at $79 per barrel……and falling. So much for statements such as “peak oil is a fact and it’s here now” and “we will never again see low cost oil” made by the silly greens back in 2008 as oil hit $140. And in future years we will start drilling into the vast oil fields lying deep under the shallow fields from which today’s oil is extracted.
A question for the greens; why do none of our politicians own and drive an electric car as their principle form of transport as they recommend we do? Even Eamon Ryan has not bought one!
Ross, the archaeologists are only saying that they welcome the chance to properly quantify the effects of climate change. Where did they deny it?
You’re right, oil prices are down. There has been weak demand and strong supply. It’s important to note that this is a small downward tick in the overall rising trend in oil prices. But the OPEC cartel will soon put a stop to that. The easy petroleum play systems have pretty much all been exploited and the current prospects have all reached peak. This is the calm before the storm. I have no doubt that more oil will be found. But these will be unconventional play systems that are significantly more expensive to exploit. One way or another, oil prices are on the way up. We really need to come up with alternatives quickly, and the current green sources just aren’t going to cut it.
@Ross UAE, when did anyone EVER claim that the Bronze Age climate change was man-made? All this study did is to show that populations declined and complex societies collapsed centuries prior to the documented decline in climate, but further that the changed climate made recovery harder and more prolonged.
And perhaps more to the point, this demonstrates the point that scientists, far from being some conservative arse-covering cult as they are presented by climate-change deniers, are always challenging their existing interpretations with new data and new analyses, and are excited when they find that they have been wrong.
“climate change information available for Europe for between 1,200 and 500BC”
Petrol would have had lead in it back then, wouldn’t it?
Spot on Ross – enough BS from these research grant seekers.
Was a good laugh when all this shopping bag for life and energy saving light bulb nonsense was shown up for what it was by that Icelandic volcano a few years back. Man-caused climate change is some arrogant twaddle.
Not a single climate scientist claims that all climate change is anthropogenic. The Permian Triassic extinction was due to mass climate change, man didn’t exist. Nobody would question that. But the causes of climate change are relatively clear and man has a huge impact.
Seán, having worked my entire career in the energy business I have developed a BS filter which catches the hysterical global warming and oil shortage reports produced by the vested interests. It is all a money-making racket, the Arabs get rich as do the companies producing the wind turbines and other ineffective renewable energy conversion devices, while the consultants who write whatever the PC brigade deem to be acceptable and call it fact are the worst of the bunch. And the consumer pay, pay, pays.
What is the answer? In my opinion nuclear is the future of electricity generation. Anything which cannot be efficiently powered by electricity can be fuelled on natural gas, oil or by gasification of material such as waste or coal. By this mean we will develop ever better, safer and more efficient nuclear power plants, resolve the waste issues which pollute our planet, and stretch our carbon reserves indefinitely. It’s not rocket science, it can be done, but a lot of vested interests will not like it!
have your say