Professor Joe Manning and Selga Medenicks at NASA GISS in New York City.
Lecture at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
In April 2025 team members met at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, for a lecture by Dr Selga Medenieks entitled 'NASA GISS and the Historian':
The ambition of modern Humanities scholarship to situate events in their environmental context has until recent years been hindered particularly by lacunae in the narrative reports and the limitations of the natural climate archives that constitute our primary sources. More lately, however, climate simulations and forcings modelling by NASA GISS have opened a way to bridge these gaps; this new, completely independent resource has the potential to shed light on many important but poorly documented episodes in the historical record. Selected case studies from the ancient Near East at times of volcanically-forced climate perturbation demonstrate how the work of NASA GISS has already and can in future be utilised profitably by the Humanities.
The session concluded with a discussion suggesting directions for the application of interdisciplinary work to modern societal responses to climate shocks and adaptive strategies, and was followed by a collegial lunch at French restaurant Le Monde.
YNI Exhibit at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Yale peabody museum exhibit
The Yale Nile Initiative gallery pictured here was installed for the March 2024 grand re-opening of the Yale Peabody Museum after its complete four-year renovation. The YNI exhibit is located prominently in the Central Gallery, a light-filled and welcoming space adjacent to the dinosaur hall and classroom spaces. The double-window display focuses on the research of Yale scientists and historians and their colleagues, and is a particular example of successful interdisciplinary research. The accompanying text is designed to be approachable by a broad audience: the museum has had over 300,000 visitors since its re-opening.
Poster advertising Dr. Kröpelin’s lecture at Yale.
Lecture at kline geology lab at yale
As part of the Yale Nile Initiative Lecture Series, Dr. Stefan Kröpelin presented on Holocene climate change, prehistoric settlement of the Eastern Sahara, and the emergence of early civilization in the Nile Valley. Drawing on decades of fieldwork, his lecture explored how shifting climates shaped patterns of human migration, the development of early communities, and the rise of Nile Valley civilizations. This event highlighted the intersection of climate science, archaeology, and history, offering a powerful example of interdisciplinary research into humanity’s deep past.
BBC Documentary on Cleopatra and the nile river
In May 2025, Professor Joe Manning was invited to Brooklyn, New York, to share his expertise on a BBC documentary on Cleopatra and the Nile River. His contribution highlighted the historical and environmental significance of the Nile in shaping Cleopatra’s reign and the wider dynamics of the ancient world. The feature underscored Manning’s role as a leading scholar bridging Egypt’s history with broader questions of climate and society.
Professor Joe Manning on set at the Smithsonian documentary filming.
Smithsonian documentary on the fall of ptolemaic egypt
In February 2020, Professor Joe Manning was featured in a Smithsonian documentary on Cleopatra, the fall of Ptolemaic Egypt, and the rise of Roman Egypt. His commentary examined the political, social, and environmental forces that shaped this pivotal transition, highlighting his expertise on the deep connections between climate, empire, and historical change.
July 2008 eruption of Okmok in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
nyt article on Okmok volcano research
In February 2020, The New York Times reported on new research identifying a massive eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano in 43 BCE—one of the largest in the past 2,500 years. The eruption triggered global cooling that may have contributed to the political and environmental crises surrounding the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. The article, Ancient Rome Was Teetering. Then a Volcano Erupted 6,000 Miles Away, featured an interview with Professor Joseph Manning, highlighting his role in uncovering the connections between climate and history.
Aerial view of Okmok Volcano in Alaska.
NSF Article on OkMok VOlcano Research
In July 2020, the National Science Foundation featured the Yale Nile Initiative’s research linking the colossal 43 BCE eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano to a period of extreme cold in the Mediterranean. Ice-core evidence revealed how the eruption set off climatic stress, crop failures, and unrest during the final years of the Roman Republic and the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
View of the Nile River in Egypt.
It’s Your Yale Article on Yale Nile Initiative research
In September 2025, It’s Your Yale published “From Papyrus to Policy,” spotlighting research led by Professor Joe Manning that connects ancient Nile river records, volcanic eruptions, and modern climate resilience. The article describes how data from papyri, ice cores, and satellite mapping are being combined to understand how extreme climate events reshaped societies along major rivers.