LAUSR

In Arabia, the first half of the sixth century CE was marked by the demise of Himyar, the dominant power in Arabia until 525 CE. Important social and political changes followed, which promoted the disintegration of the major Arabian polities. Here, we present hydroclimate records from around Southern Arabia, including a new high-resolution stalagmite record from northern Oman. These records clearly indicate unprecedented droughts during the sixth century CE, with the most severe aridity persisting between ~500 and 530 CE. We suggest that such droughts undermined the resilience of Himyar and thereby contributed to the societal changes from which Islam emerged. Description Arabian aridity Islam emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in the early 7th century CE after a period of profound societal changes. What was the environmental context of that emergence? Fleitmann et al. present a hydroclimate record of Southern Arabia showing that droughts plagued the region throughout the 6th century CE. They suggest that increasing aridity and declining agricultural yields may have contributed to demise of Himyar, the dominant power in Arabia at that time. —HJS Persistent droughts in Arabia were coincident with profound societal changes there during the 6th century CE.