Centuries-Old Transylvanian Diaries Illuminate Climate Impacts of the 16th Century

New research reveals how extreme weather events shaped life, death, and societal change in Transylvania during the Little Ice Age.

Researchers analyzed 500-year-old documents, including diaries and chronicles, to study the climate and its societal impacts in 16th-century Transylvania.
The first half of the century experienced severe droughts and heatwaves, leading to famine, livestock deaths, and widespread desperation.
The second half saw increased rainfall and flooding, with evidence suggesting the Little Ice Age may have reached the region later than Western Europe.
Extreme weather events were linked to devastating consequences, such as famine, plague outbreaks, and locust invasions, which reshaped settlement patterns and infrastructure.
The study highlights the value of historical records in understanding past climate variability and its implications for modern climate resilience strategies.