The Medieval Warm Period preceded the Maunder Minimum, or Little Ice Age and the considerably warmer conditions during that warming period gave the Viking Age its impetus, allowing them to sally forth from their previously ice locked fjords much sooner each year on raiding and trading voyages.
It is thought by some that the Little Ice Age would have ended the 400+-years of the Viking Age in what is now northern Europe as the area became gripped by the extreme cold.
Currently we are not even halfway in the 500-year weather cycle that followed the featured event. Nobody reading this will live to see what happens to the Earth towards the end of this cycle, a period of gradual planetary warming.
The sun is in control, not we humans, and those alive toward the end of the current cycle will see much warmer planetary conditions, naturally caused by the sun and/or massive volcanic eruptions. (Ed.)
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The Little Ice Age and Its Giant Impact on Human History
25 SEPTEMBER, 2020 - 18:05 B. B. WAGNER
The Little Ice Age is a period tentatively defined as running from the 13 th/14th to the 19 th century in which the northern hemisphere of Earth endured a limited but substantial cooling period. Now please be forewarned, the Little Ice Age (LIA) should not be confused with the Medieval Warm Period, or the Last Glacial Period , since it carries its own unique events that may have changed the course of history for many human cultures around the globe.
Unlike the previous ice ages and warm periods, which caused havoc to the environment and forced humanity to change its survival methods, the Little Ice Age had varying effects. Some regions of the world were severely affected, leading to war, famine, disease, and even abandonment. While other areas became plentiful and prosperous, both benefiting and lending favorable conditions to strengthen various human civilizations. Though there is no conclusive evidence to explain why this phenomenon happened, there is a working hypothesis to what may have caused it.
The primary culprit may have been the 1257 Mount Salamas eruption, which took place in Lombok, Indonesia. After this one single event, countries around the world were affected in different ways. It appears that the eruption shaped culture and technology for the societies that experienced it. And perhaps, these changes had a significant impact on these cultures and countries themselves.
25 SEPTEMBER, 2020 - 18:05 B. B. WAGNER
The Little Ice Age is a period tentatively defined as running from the 13 th/14th to the 19 th century in which the northern hemisphere of Earth endured a limited but substantial cooling period. Now please be forewarned, the Little Ice Age (LIA) should not be confused with the Medieval Warm Period, or the Last Glacial Period , since it carries its own unique events that may have changed the course of history for many human cultures around the globe.
Unlike the previous ice ages and warm periods, which caused havoc to the environment and forced humanity to change its survival methods, the Little Ice Age had varying effects. Some regions of the world were severely affected, leading to war, famine, disease, and even abandonment. While other areas became plentiful and prosperous, both benefiting and lending favorable conditions to strengthen various human civilizations. Though there is no conclusive evidence to explain why this phenomenon happened, there is a working hypothesis to what may have caused it.
The primary culprit may have been the 1257 Mount Salamas eruption, which took place in Lombok, Indonesia. After this one single event, countries around the world were affected in different ways. It appears that the eruption shaped culture and technology for the societies that experienced it. And perhaps, these changes had a significant impact on these cultures and countries themselves.
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