One of the mysteries about the founding of Anglo-Saxon England is why there had been such a collapse in the infrastructure of towns after the withdrawal of the Romans. When Augustine came to Canterbury there was not much left of what had been a thriving town
Much the same thing happened, I believe, throughout Europe.
Now I learn from Paul Simons of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption, most recently estimated to have taken place in 535AD, about 60 years before the arrival of Augustine.
The eruption may have been the most dramatic of the last 2000 years & dimmed the sunlight for years afterwards, causing famine, conflicts & plague across the world
It is therefore no surprise that gangs of marauders from northern Europe should have arrived searching for better climes in England
I do not get exercised about the prospect of global warming & climate change. The idea that terrifies me – because it could lead to a similar total collapse in the infrastructure of towns – is the electricity going off. Perhaps because we are not in a strong enough position to compete with new consumers of oil & gas
Related post: The pump
