Theme
History of Disaster
Pivotal moments in disaster across human history.
DisasterCatastrophic Flooding at Mohenjo-Daroc. 1900 BCE · Mohenjo-Daro, Sindh, PakistanDevastating floods from the Indus River repeatedly buried and destroyed layers of Mohenjo-Daro, signaling the decline of the urban phase.
DisasterRebuilding of the Palace at Knossos after Earthquakec. 1700 BCE · Knossos, Crete (Greece)Minoans rebuild the Palace of Knossos after a massive earthquake destroys the old structure.
DisasterEcological Collapse and Deforestation of Rapa Nuic. 1600 CE · Rapa Nui (Easter Island), ChileOverexploitation of resources leads to deforestation and societal transformation on Rapa Nui.
DisasterMinoan Eruption of Thera (Santorini)c. 1600 BCE · Santorini (Thera), Aegean SeaA massive volcanic eruption devastates the Minoan civilization and alters the Mediterranean climate.
DisasterVolcanic Ash Burial of Akrotiri on Therac. 1600 BCE · Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini), GreeceThe city of Akrotiri is perfectly preserved under volcanic ash from the Minoan eruption.
DisasterGreat Famine of Ethiopia under Emperor Dawit Ic. 1480 CE · Ethiopian HighlandsSevere drought and locust swarms devastate the Ethiopian highlands, causing widespread famine.
DisasterAbandonment of Great Zimbabwec. 1450 CE · Great Zimbabwe, ZimbabweEnvironmental degradation and shifting trade routes lead to the gradual abandonment of Great Zimbabwe.
DisasterDestruction of Minoan Palaces by Firec. 1450 BCE · Knossos, Crete (Greece)A massive fire destroys most Minoan palaces except Knossos, marking the end of their independence.
DisasterHunting and Extinction of the Moa in New Zealandc. 1300 to 1450 CE · South Island, New ZealandIntensive hunting by Māori leads to the rapid extinction of the giant flightless moa birds.
DisasterAbandonment of Hattusa by the Hittitesc. 1200 BCE · Hattusa (Bogazkoy), TurkeyThe Hittite capital is sacked and abandoned during the Bronze Age Collapse.
DisasterCatastrophic Floods and Collapse of Moche San José de Moroc. 750 CE · Lambayeque Valley, PeruEl Niño floods devastate Moche infrastructure leading to societal transformation.
DisasterEruption of Mount VesuviusAugust 24, 79 CE · Pompeii, ItalyVolcano destroys Roman cities preserving them in ash for modern discovery.
DisasterCollapse of Classic Maya Civilizationc. 900 CE · Tikal and Calakmul, Guatemala/MexicoMajor Maya city-states are abandoned due to drought, warfare, and ecological collapse during the Terminal Classic period.
DisasterEcological Collapse and Drought Leading to Maya Declinec. 900 CE · Petén Basin, GuatemalaSevere drought and deforestation cause the collapse of Classic Maya civilization.
DisasterSealing of the Dunhuang Library Cavec. 1035 CE · Dunhuang, ChinaMonks seal a cave containing thousands of ancient manuscripts for protection.
DisasterOutbreak of the Black DeathOctober 1347 CE · Genoa, ItalyPlague arrives in Europe killing a third of the population and reshaping society.
DisasterBurning of Maya Codices by Bishop LandaJuly 1562 CE · Mani, Yucatan, MexicoSpanish Bishop Diego de Landa orders the destruction of most surviving Maya written records in a campaign against idolatry.
DisasterDestruction of Maya Codices by Bishop LandaJuly 12, 1562 · Maní, Yucatán, MexicoSpanish friars burn nearly all surviving Maya books in a purge of idolatry.
DisasterGreat Fire of LondonSeptember 2, 1666 · London, EnglandCatastrophic fire destroys medieval London, leading to major urban reconstruction.
DisasterLisbon Earthquake and TsunamiNovember 1, 1755 CE · Lisbon, PortugalMassive quake and fire destroy capital city challenging Enlightenment optimism.
DisasterGreat Famine of India (1876-1878)November 1, 1876 · Southern IndiaDrought and British policy cause mass starvation in India.
DisasterWall Street Crash and Great DepressionOctober 29, 1929 · New York City, USAStock market crash triggers the worst global economic depression in history.
DisasterChernobyl Nuclear DisasterApril 26, 1986 CE · Pripyat, UkraineReactor explosion releases radiation contaminating large parts of Europe.