Transylvanian Diaries Show How Perilous The Little Ice Age Was Hundreds Of Years Ago
A team of researchers in Romania is using ancient records dating back to 16th-century Transylvania to investigate how the Little Ice Age affected a region known for its tales of vampires.
From the early 14th century C.E. to the mid-19th, temperatures were colder than usual. This period was also marked by major social upheaval, disease, and famine.
According to these historical accounts, multiple areas within the continent seemed to have experienced extreme weather changes, such as intense heat and drought, at different times. The climate events had profound socio-economic impacts.
The Little Ice Age was a period of global cooling that began around 1300 C.E. and lasted until about 1850. In the Northern Hemisphere, average temperatures fell by roughly 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is still unclear what caused the Little Ice Age, but scientists think that reduced solar output, increased volcanism, and changes in the circulation of the atmosphere may have contributed. Across Europe, North and South America, and Oceania, mountain glaciers expanded in several locations.
Famine was widespread since the cold led to crop failure. Social uprisings and witch hunts increased as people responded to the weather.
The research team used documents, diary entries, travel reports, chronicles, and social records from people who lived in Transylvania during the 16th century C.E. to piece together Earth’s climate history from this time.
The records came from various sources, including calendars, monastery registers, and the notes of diplomats, monks, and missionaries.
“We show that the climate was marked by significant variability, including prolonged periods of drought, heatwaves, and episodes of intense rainfall and flooding,” said Tudor Caciora, a co-author of the study and a geographer at the University of Oradea in Romania.
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“The study illustrates the complex interplay between heatwaves, droughts, floods, and their cascading impacts on agriculture, public health, and societal stability, emphasizing the significant role of climate in shaping human history.”
The documents show that the first half of the 16th century was especially hot and dry. During the summer of 1540, the springs and rivers dried up. Livestock collapsed in the fields, and people gathered in crowds to pray for rain.
Heavy rainfall and flooding occurred in the second half of the 16th century, particularly during the 1590s. Other parts of Europe were still cooling when the Little Ice Age’s effects began to escalate, and temperatures dropped. But in 16th century Transylvania, hot weather was mentioned much more than cold weather.
That means the Little Ice Age may not have taken effect in this part of Europe until later. Some later writings detailing harsh winters and cold waves support this idea. The variations in weather resulted in famines, locust invasions, and the Black Death.
The extreme weather and the social upheaval that followed could have spurred changes in settlement patterns and technological innovations, such as irrigation systems and other flood-resistant infrastructure.
Overall, the writings provide researchers with a glimpse of the consequences of extreme weather events and how they shaped human history. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Climate.
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