# How severe and how widespread was the climate change around 1200 BC? · Late Bronze Age collapse > Four answers have been proposed. A regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries. leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464NRA16TQ/how-severe-and-how-widespread-was-the-climate-change-around Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:56:58+00:00 --- **0** # How severe and how widespread was the climate change around 1200 BC? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·Part of [What was the principal cause of the end of the Late Bronze Age palace system in the eastern Mediterranean?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464MS26SDY/what-was-the-principal-cause-of-the-end-of-the-late-bronze)·4 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: a regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. A regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries. leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. ## Why it matters The climate reading depends on whether the stress was a long regional drying, a short extreme event, or something that varied from place to place⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D4649224SDR/severe-multi-year-drought-coincident-with-hittite-collapse)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464AGY0Y9V/cold-and-dry-outbreaks-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-3200)⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464B8C53SJ/late-bronze-age-climate-change-and-the-destruction-of-the). ## Answers 4 [**A regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/answers/ANS0D4650ZP6A2T/a-regional-shift-to-drier-cooler-conditions-lasting-about) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for Most likely [**Climate change was regionally variable; some areas were not in drought when they collapsed.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/answers/ANS0D46526R0NKE/climate-change-was-regionally-variable-some-areas-were-not) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for Most likely [**The decisive stress was short runs of extreme dry years, not the long trend.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/answers/ANS0D4651FA4A11/the-decisive-stress-was-short-runs-of-extreme-dry-years-not) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Most likely [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/answers/ANS0D4652PC21M5/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible ## History 1. 2017[Finné et al. puts forward: climate change was regionally variable; some areas were not in drought when they collapsed.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464B8C53SJ/late-bronze-age-climate-change-and-the-destruction-of-the) 1. 2017[Finné et al.: pylos was generally wetter at the destruction, with drying afterwards.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464B8C53SJ/late-bronze-age-climate-change-and-the-destruction-of-the)For: Climate change was regionally variable; some areas were not in drought when they collapsed. 1. 2019[Kaniewski et al. puts forward: a regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464AGY0Y9V/cold-and-dry-outbreaks-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-3200) 1. 2019[Kaniewski et al.: coastal Syria, Cyprus and the Sea of Galilee all record a dry phase.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464AGY0Y9V/cold-and-dry-outbreaks-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-3200)For: A regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries. 1. 2023[Manning et al. puts forward: the decisive stress was short runs of extreme dry years, not the long trend.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D4649224SDR/severe-multi-year-drought-coincident-with-hittite-collapse) 1. 2023[Manning et al.: dry years occur regularly in the Gordion record; the run at 1198–1196 BC stands out.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D4649224SDR/severe-multi-year-drought-coincident-with-hittite-collapse)For: The decisive stress was short runs of extreme dry years, not the long trend. 1. 2026[Hagens: a re-reading counts fifteen significant droughts over a century.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D464DEP43YA/fifteen-significant-droughts-radiocarbon-dating-and-the-last)Against: The decisive stress was short runs of extreme dry years, not the long trend. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464NRA16TQ/how-severe-and-how-widespread-was-the-climate-change-around%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464NRA16TQ/how-severe-and-how-widespread-was-the-climate-change-around%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464NRA16TQ/how-severe-and-how-widespread-was-the-climate-change-around%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464NRA16TQ/how-severe-and-how-widespread-was-the-climate-change-around%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464NRA16TQ/how-severe-and-how-widespread-was-the-climate-change-around%23add-source) Where it fits Late Bronze Age collapse [**What was the principal cause of the end of the Late Bronze Age palace system in the eastern Mediterranean?** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464MS26SDY/what-was-the-principal-cause-of-the-end-of-the-late-bronze)Key question · most likely no single cause; several stresses (climate, famine, migration, war, earthquakes, internal unrest) struck… [Did an earthquake storm destroy many of the sites?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464P040RGM/did-an-earthquake-storm-destroy-many-of-the-sites)Most likely · earthquakes played at most a local role **How severe and how widespread was the climate change around 1200 BC?** You're here · a regional shift to drier, cooler conditions lasting about three centuries [Were the destructions clustered in the years after the 1198–1196 BC drought, or spread over a century?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bronze-age-collapse/questions/QST0D464N0W57P9/were-the-destructions-clustered-in-the-years-after-the)Most likely · most destructions fall within a few decades after about 1200 BC [ Ask a question under this one ]