1620s BC explained

The 1620s BC was a decade lasting from January 1, 1629 BC to December 31, 1620 BC.

Events and trends

• 1627 BC—Beginning of a period of cooling of the world climate lasting several years, recorded in tree-rings all over the world.^[1] Various volcanic eruptions have been suggested for the cause of this climatic event; the Minoan eruption of Thera,^[2] the Avellino eruption of Mount Vesuvius,^[3] or the eruption of Mount Aniakchak.^[4]
• 1625 BC—Samsu-Ditana becomes King of Babylon (middle chronology).
• 1621 BC—Lullaia becomes the King of Assyria.
• 1620 BC—Mursili I becomes King of the Hittite Empire (middle chronology).

Notes and References

1. LaMarche, Valmore C. Jr. . Hirschboeck, Katherine K. . 1984 . Frost rings in trees as records of major volcanic eruptions . . 307 . 121–126 . 10.1038/307121a0 . 5947. 4370382 .
2. Baillie, M. G. L. . Munro, M. A. R. . 1988 . Irish tree rings, Santorini and volcanic dust veils . Nature . 332 . 344–346 . 10.1038/332344a0 . 6162. 4286911 .
3. Vogel . 1990 . Vesuvius/Avellino, one possible source of seventeenth century BC climatic disturbances . Nature . 344 . 534–537 . 10.1038/344534a0 . 6266 . J. S. . 2 . Nelson . D. E. . Southon . J. R.. 4368499 .
4. McAneney, J. . Baillie, M.G.L. . amp . 2019 . Absolute tree-ring dates for the Late Bronze Age eruptions of Aniakchak and Thera in light of a proposed revision of ice-core chronologies . Antiquity . 93 . 367. 10.15184/aqy.2018.165 . 99–112 . free .