A dendrochronology study conducted on sub-fossilized Lebanese Cedars has revealed a catastrophic 150-year-old mega-drought that began around 3,200 BCE. This climatic event precisely mirrors the collapse of several early Bronze Age civilizations across the Near East and the Mediterranean.
The research, published in Climate of the Past, suggests that this drought was the primary driver for the mass migrations and societal shifts seen at the end of the 4th millennium BCE. By correlating tree-ring data with archaeological evidence, scientists can now map the exact year-by-year impact of environmental changes on ancient urban centers.