The Volcanic Winter Of 536 AD Explained | Catastrophe

Researchers have now discovered that in 535 and 536 AD, a climatic cataclysm wreaked havoc on the world. Could a violent volcanic eruption of Krakatoa have caused two years of darkness, famine, drought and disease? In this second and final episode, we ponder whether this really was the worst time to be alive and learn how the catastrophe shaped the world as we know it.

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[edgregory]

History really puts our existence into perspective. So many lives cut brutally short. Makes my problems seem bearable.

[JeantheSecond]

All of this must have scared the bejesus out of the people of the time. Dimming sun, drought, plague. It must have seemed the literal end of the world.

[Emanonerewhon]

Watching this, one can’t help but marvel at what an incredibly complex world we live in, and especially at what a close-run thing civilization truly is. At any moment, natural forces beyond our control can simply turn the page on humankind as we know it. It’s just remarkable.

[TalkingHands]

Man, I miss when channels on tv like History or Discovery Channel would have documentaries like this one...

[ItIsJustJudy]

I am always amazed at what our ancestors survived.

[dukeandika]

I'm from Indonesia. This video gimme answer why our historic notes about our ancient kingdoms was missing between 6-8 Century. In 5th century several ancients kingdoms were thriving during Indonesian archipelago like Kingdom of Kutai and Tarumanegara . Without clear reason, all of those ancient notes were missing at 6 th century.

[jabronis]

During this time, the Eastern Roman empire was fighting with the Sassanid empire in Persia. An emissary went to Syria, when they noticed everyone getting sick. He went back and told the king to call off the invasion.

[sublime]

Props to the cameraman for capturing all this footage during such a horrible year.

[susanmorgan]

When Mt. St. Helens erupted, a relative in Portland sent us a vial of the resultant ash that she'd scraped off foliage in her yard. It was unbelievably fine, and it was easy to see how the wind could carry it great distances.

[phyllojoe]

Given covid, I think the world would cope with a worldwide incident quite poorly

[shutthefrontdoor]

Why is history so much more interesting the older you get? I am always fascinated by so many great stories told about the past. Thank you for a really well done documentary

[Mavendow]

I read the sound of Krakatoa's eruption in 1883 created a concussive shockwave circled the globe four times. The ocean was measured to rise and fall in lockstep with the blast. Some within a 50km radius might've died just from the wave of air impacting their body. And that was calculated at only 13, 000x hiroshima. 2, 000, 000, 000x? I can't even imagine an eruption that size.

[deandeann]

Ilopango volcano in El Salvador erupted in 535 AD - some believe this was responsible for the collapse of Teotihuacan. I'm sure the eruption in 536 AD at Krakatao did not help things for them.

[llSuperSnivyll]

It puts into dimension how 'privileged' we are right now to actually know what's going on.

Meanwhile, you could be a random Roman citizen at Ravenna and see the sky's gone dark, that the summer feels cold and that there's a sudden food shortage, with no knowledge that it's all caused by the eruption of a volcano that is located in a land you don't even know exists.

[brocknspectre]

I’m surprised they didn’t talk about the 1815 eruption of mount Tambora. It’s still remembered as the year without a summer or "Eighteen-hundred and froze to death"

[aliz.]

When you think about how often people die in the present day (which is A LOT) and how humans used to die even more often for as long as we've existed, it starts to become clear we're literally just another life form on this planet that isn't tougher or more special than ants or fungus. And as a human who tends to think of humans in general as being extra special, it's quite sobering to come to this realization.

[luciavaughan]

The amount of combined scientific research in this video is absolutely insane.

[deeprollingriver]

I’m looking at my dog and realized her ancestors survived this also.

[Fido-vmzi]

I'd like to thank my ancestors for surviving. I didn't live in ancient times of famine, but something inside me makes me grateful for everything. Small things, such as a tomato or piece of fruit.

[reds]

Can't be worse then my parents walking 20 miles barefoot in their grandparents hand me downs in a snow storm to school back in their day.