Drought as a possible contributor to the Visigothic Kingdom crisis and Islamic expansion in the Iberian Peninsula

The Muslim expansion in the Mediterranean basin was one the most relevant and rapid cultural changes in human history. This expansion reached the Iberian Peninsula with the replacement of the Visigothic Kingdom by the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate and the Muslim Emirate of Córdoba during the 8th century...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Camuera, Jon, Jiménez Espejo, Francisco José, Soto Chica, José, Jiménez Moreno, Gonzalo, García Álix, Antonio, Ramos Morán, María José, Ruha, Leena, Castro Priego, Manuel|||0000-0002-0645-8341
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Alcalá (UAH)
Repositorio:e_Buah Biblioteca Digital Universidad de Alcalá
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ebuah.uah.es:10017/59240
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10017/59240
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41367-7
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Archaeology
Visigothic period
Climatic change
Historical Droughts
Historia
History
Descripción
Sumario:The Muslim expansion in the Mediterranean basin was one the most relevant and rapid cultural changes in human history. This expansion reached the Iberian Peninsula with the replacement of the Visigothic Kingdom by the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate and the Muslim Emirate of Córdoba during the 8th century CE. In this study we made a compilation of western Mediterranean pollen records to gain insight about past climate conditions when this expansion took place. The pollen stack results, together with other paleohydrological records, archaeological data and historical sources, indicate that the statistically significant strongest droughts between the mid-5th and mid10th centuries CE (450?950 CE) occurred at 545?570, 695?725, 755?770 and 900?935 CE, which could have contributed to the instability of the Visigothic and Muslim reigns in the Iberian Peninsula. Our study supports the great sensitivity of the agriculture-based economy and socio-political unrest of Early Medieval kingdoms to climatic variations.