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Human civilization has, over the centuries, shown a consistent ability to adapt to gradual climate change. Scientists have wondered, therefore, why the mighty Hittite empire, which had survived a myriad of environmental and societal crises, crumbled around 1200 BCE along with several other empires during the Late Bronze Age collapse after three centuries of climate shift toward cooler, drier conditions.
A team of researchers from institutions across the United States examined Juniper trees (Juniperus excelsa and Juniperus foetidissima) recovered from the Gordion archeological site in central Anatolia, just over 200km west of the ancient Hittite capital Hattusa.
In their peer-reviewed study, the scientists proposed that based on data from the tree rings which indicated the trees’ growth rates, the region suffered a particularly difficult drought from 1198 to 1196 BCE which contributed to the fall of the Hittite Empire.