Did the Neo-Assyrian Empire collapse due to severe drought?
Science Advanceshas published online an archaeological discovery by Professor Ashish Sinha of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and XJTU's Professor ChengHai and his team: Role of climate in the rise and fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
"Earlier explanations for the Assyrian collapse focused on the roles of internal politico-economic conflicts, territorial overextension, and military defeat." The author wrote, "We present a high-resolution and precisely dated speleothem record of climate change…, which suggests that…megadroughts during the early-mid seventh century BCE, as severe as recent droughts in the region but lasting for decades, triggered a decline in Assyria’s agrarian productivity and thus contributed to its eventual political and economic collapse."
Professor Ashish Sinha, also a chair professor of XJTU, is the first author. XJTU's Associate Professor Gayatri Kathayat is the co-corresponding author. Professor Cheng Hai's team members are co-authors.