The Day the Sun stood still

"Catastrophe" is a two-part BBC documentary about a possible climate disaster during the 6th century AD. This is the first part, titled "The Day the Sun Went Out". The TV crew has followed British archeologist David Keys as he tries to unlock the mystery.

Year zero of the cataclysm seems to be AD 535 (when Justinian was ruler of the East Roman Empire). Treerings from around that time went haywire all over the world: Ireland, Chile, Siberia, California. On Ireland, the "bad" trees were from forts built as protection in times of war. Written sources also suggest that something dramatic must have happened around this time. John of Ephesus and Cassiodorus reported that the sun went dark. Japanese chronicles suggest the same thing, leading to famine, while yellow dust and a loud bang were recorded in China. The documentary takes the Arthurian legends seriously, and believe that Arthur´s kingdom became a wasteland in the mid 6th century. 

Keys investigates whether a comet or asteroid could have impacted Earth at this time, but reaches the conclusion that there is no evidence for it. However, ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica show high amounts of sulphuric acid from the time in question. This points to a volcanic eruption. And yes, the main suspect is Krakatoa in Indonesia (it´s *always* Krakatoa). 

The research team track down a copy of the ancient Javanese "Book of Kings", which strongly suggests a volcanic eruption in 535 AD. A geological survey of Krakatoa (yes, they do visit the cursed place - and are almost hit by falling rocks during a "small" eruption) also strongly suggest that a major eruption happened during the relevant time frame. 

So what could possibly go wrong if a major volcano explodes and its dust darkens the sun all over the world for 18 months?

That´s the topic of the next episode...

To be blunt, "Catastrophe" is extremely slow paced and boring - except for the Krakatoa expedition - and some of it is ridiculous. Why does John of Ephesus speak with a weird foreign accent, which is difficult to make out? Also, the narrator mispronounces "Tunguska". 

That being said, this production does have a certain intrinsic interest. Clue: the world was not made for man. It seems it may have been made for...Krakatoa.