Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch

The Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch was a period of unusually cold climate in the North Atlantic region that lasted about from 1800 BC to 1500 BC.^{[1] [2]} It was followed by the Bronze Age Optimum (1500—900 BC).

Greenland ice sheet temperatures interpreted with 18O isotope from 6 ice cores (Vinther, B., et al., 2009)

During the Middle Bronze Age Cold Epoch, a series of severe volcanic eruptions occurred, including Mount Vesuvius (Avellino eruption, about 1660 BC),^[3] Mount Aniakchak (about 1645 BC),^[4] and Thera (Minoan eruption, about 1620 BC).^[5] It was replaced by the climatic optimum of the late Bronze Age 1500-900 BC .