Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization
Catastrophe: An Investigation into the Origins of Modern Civilization – Review
Within records of eventually finishing this riveting, comprehensive book, I was creating an email suggesting it to several friends. The author — archaeologist and journalist David Keys — posits that a specific event in about 535 CE usually triggered between 18 months and 3 yrs of severe weather worldwide. The first calamity to follow the catastrophe was drought in some places, great floods in others. On the heels of severe weather occured famine worldwide and plague in the other world. Implicated in and resulting from these, he traces great groups of peoples in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America, and major changes in government everywhere. (He reaches a mostly bit when currently discussing North America, which has the thinnest archaeological and no historical evidence.) Among — but not limited to — the changes he attributes to the catastrophe are these — – the triumph of the Anglo-Saxons over the Celts – the entrenchment of Buddhism in Japan, and Japan’s unification – new legislative structures in different SE Asian states – the "fall" of the Roman Empire – the expansion of Islam – the flowering of Anasazi culture – the expansion of the first pan-Peruvian empire – the rejection of Arianism – the change of a Jewish state in today’s southern Ukraine, leading to the separation of the Ashkenazim from the "original" Jews A large section of the book is subsequently spent in explanation of some of the science commonly used in dating notable events. Keys describes dendrochronology (dating by tree rings), the promotion of the analysis of cold ice cores, and variations in carbon isotopes over time, among other methods. His explanations are thorough but simple, never lapsing into jargon. As an model of the breadth of his reach, here are the entries for "O" in the index (chosen because it’s significantly shorter than most): Obadiah, king of Khazars; Oc Eo (Funan); Oghuz Turks; Ohio State University Institute of Polar Studies; Opone (East Africa); Osman; Ostrogoth; Ottoman Empire; Outuken Yish; Oxkintok, Teotihuacano influence in. Despite the fact that Keys writes as a layman, for a usually lay audience, the book is well footnoted. Don’t worry, they’re at the back of the book and can be largely ignored by those who choose to do so. Readers who use footnotes will find dozens of topics (that would be distractions in the text) explored, or at least previously mentioned in the notes. Keys also includes a several-page bibliography. I have previously read several titles revealed in the bibliography and no doubt will continue to use it as a resource. I am bored by reviewers who go on about what a book isn’t. What Catastrophe is, is a well-annotated book that’s readable, nicely written, and thoroughly researched, that eventually won’t insult its readers and is likely to inspire somewhat a few to explore different topics of interest. Oh yes, it’s entertaining also!