[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1258

In the year 1258, there was an enormous tropical volcanic eruption in January.

“One of the largest volcanic eruptions of the Holocene epoch occured, possibly from a tropical location such as Mount Rinjani, Indonesia; El Chichón, Mexico; or Quilotoa, Ecuador. Observed effects of the eruption include the following anecdotal accounts: dry fog in France; lunar eclipses in England; severe winter in Europe; a “harsh” spring in Northern Iceland; famine in England, Western Germany, France, and Northern Italy; and pestilence in London, parts of France, Austria, Iraq, Syria, and South-East Turkey.”

[publius911]

Due to some recent questionable articles touting Africa’s great but undocumented cultures, I can’t help commenting on the total lack of useful contributions via written or oral acounts from the southern hemisphere generally, and Africa particularly.

[piasa]

1250-1350 AD was the last of the late Mississippian occupation at Cahokia mounds on the Mississippi River flood plain. At the time Cahokia was the largest city in North America north of present day Mexico, and was larger in population than London.

After centuries of living there they abandoned the city.