Almost 1500 years ago, the world experienced an event that brought shock and terror to those living through it. The sun dimmed, rain of an eerie crimson hue fell from the skies, dust clouds shrouded the land, and two winters arrived in a row without respite. In its wake came drought, famine, plague and death. Entire cities were wiped out and civilizations crumbled as no one could come up with an answer for what had transpired.
Even today the exact cause of this cataclysmic event remains unknown; however, David Keys – a renowned archaeologist – may have uncovered the truth. According to his research presented in his documentary ‘The Dark Ages: The Link Between Volcanoes and Famine’, the global seismic activity resulting from multiple volcanic eruptions was responsible for this catastrophe that changed our history forever.
By studying archaeological records and analysing ice core samples taken from Greenland and Antarctica, Keys has been able to piece together an understanding of what happened all those centuries ago. His findings suggested that an immense amount of ash was blasted into the atmosphere which blocked out large amounts of sunlight for extended periods of time leading to colder temperatures around the world – resulting in crop failures followed by famine and disease. It is likely that this event caused millions of deaths around the world at a time when our technology was limited and our understanding science was lacking.
Through Keys’ documentary we get a better insight into how these events could have shaped our world today – politically, economically and socially – making it a must-watch for any who wish to learn more about our past. Furthermore, his research gives us unique insight into how similar future events might play out if they occurred today; hopefully armed with knowledge we can not only prepare ourselves but also strive to prevent them from happening again in the future.
