Waubonsee Community College

Floods, famines, and emperors, El Niño and the fate of civilizations, Brian Fagan

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-275) and index

illustrationsmaps

index present

non fiction

Floods, famines, and emperors

bibliography

40743181

Brian Fagan

El Niño and the fate of civilizations

This volume examines the social effects of El Niño and other powerful weather phenomena. The author provides examples of how cultures have adapted to stressful weather and the ways in which climatic alterations have changed the course of history. From droughts in ancient Egypt to monsoons in India, the far-reaching effects of meteorology's tantrums have deeply affected the way humans live in the world. He explains El Niños "discovery" and includes useful maps and diagrams and simple and historical treatments of topics such as monsoons, ENSO, and the North Atlantic OscillationIn this dazzlingly original new book, archaeologist Brian Fagan shows that short-term climate shifts have been a major--and hitherto unrecogonized--force in history. El Nino-driven droughts have brought on the collapse of dynasties in Egypt; El Nino monsoon failures have caused historic famines in India; and El Nino floods have destroyed whole civilizations in Peru. Other short-term climate changes may have caused the mysterious abandonment of the Anasizi dwellings of the American Southwest and the collapse of the ancient Maya empire, as well as changed the course of European history

[pt. 1:] The Christmas Child. The great visitation -- Guano happens -- ENSO -- The North Atlantic oscillation -- [pt. 2:] El Niños in antiquity. A time of warming -- Pharaohs in crisis -- The Moche Lords -- The classic Maya collapse -- The ancient ones -- [pt. 3:] Climate change and the stream of time. The little ice age -- "Drought follows the plow" -- El Niños that shook the world -- The fate of civilizations