My latest work has just been published in Astronomische Nachrichten, early access link below. It suggests that an asteroid from the Main Belt likely impacted Earth 12,800 years ago, playing a role in a temporary return to glacial conditions, called the Younger Dryas. This event is associated with global sea level rise, floods, fires, disruptions of megafauna and mass migrations. This suggestion opposes or, better say, complements the traditional cosmic impact theory by Dr. Napier that uses a swarm of comets as a possible Younger Dryas impactor. An aggregate of main belt asteroids, looks like, is a more probable source of impacting material. This is an exciting period in the history of our civilization, as it coincides with the transition of human cultures from hunters-gatherers to the Neolithic, with the emergence of permanent settlements, agriculture and megalithic architecture, such as the Göbekli Tepe. The main trigger to write this article was Joe Rogan’s interview with Graham Hancock (https://youtu.be/Rxmw9eizOAo). This is one of the directions in astronomy and Earth sciences I would really wish to pursue further.
