Roman population collapse visible in archaeological soil layers

Roman population collapse visible in archaeological soil layers. Larger Gate of the Aurelian Walls of Rome shrank from feeding approximately one million people to perhaps 30,000 within a few centuries Aqueducts fell silent and forums filled with mud The population of Roman Britain collapsed completely

The scale of Rome's fall is staggering. The city shrank from feeding roughly one million people to perhaps just 30,000 over a few centuries. Aqueducts fell silent, forums filled with mud, and the population of Roman Britain collapsed entirely. Archaeologists actually see this in the soil, where coins and pottery simply stop appearing and all evidence of occupation vanishes from the layers.

Key Facts

• Larger Gate of the Aurelian Walls of Rome shrank from feeding approximately one million people to perhaps 30,000 within a few centuries
• Aqueducts fell silent and forums filled with mud
• The population of Roman Britain collapsed completely
• Archaeologists can identify the collapse in soil layers where coins stop appearing, pottery stops appearing, and evidence of occupation simply disappears

Related site: Larger Gate of the Aurelian Walls of Rome — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.

Source: Something Disturbing Happened to Every Civilization by Michael Button