Ancient Egyptian weather report describes result of massive volcanic eruption
Ancient Egyptian weather report describes result of massive volcanic eruption
Geology Heritage April 3, 2014 -
An inscription on a 3,500-year-old stone block from Egypt may be one of the worlds oldest weather reportsand could provide new evidence about the chronology of events in the ancient Middle East.
A new translation of a 40-line inscription on the 6-foot-tall calcite block called the Tempest Stela describes rain, darkness and the sky being in storm without cessation, louder than the cries of the masses.
Two scholars at the University of Chicagos Oriental Institute believe the unusual weather patterns described on the slab were the result of a massive volcano explosion at Therathe present-day island of Santorini in the Mediterranean Sea. Because volcano eruptions can have a widespread impact on weather, the Thera explosion likely would have caused significant disruptions in Egypt.
The new translation suggests the Egyptian pharaoh Ahmose ruled at a time closer to the Thera eruption than previously thoughta finding that could change scholars understanding of a critical juncture in human history as Bronze Age empires realigned. The research from the Oriental Institutes Nadine Moeller and Robert Ritner appears in the spring issue of the Journal of Near Eastern Studies.
More:
http://www.heritagedaily.com/2014/04/ancient-egyptian-weather-report-describes-result-of-massive-volcanic-eruption/102673