The greatest time of the Roman Empire coincided with the warmest period of the last 2,000 years in the Mediterranean, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, from the Nature group. The climate conditions derived progressively towards arid conditions and later colder ones coinciding with the historical fall of the empire, as stated in the new study, whose principal researchers are Isabel Cacho, Giulia Margaritelli and Albert Català, from the Faculty of Earth Sciences and the Consolidated Research Group on Marine Geosciences of the University of Barcelona.

With the published results, the study provides new references for new studies on the resilience of Roman populations regarding climate variations using the analysis of social and cultural transformations that took place over the centuries.

“Our study highlights the relevance of the Roman Empire to better understand the behaviour of the Mediterranean climate –specifically, the hydrological cycle– in warm conditions compared to the ones in the current climate change scene. This part of the research is essential to improve our ability to adapt to imminent changes”, concludes Professor Isabel Cacho.