What Drives Societal Collapse?

Abstract
The archaeological and historical record shows many instances of societal collapse. These events have traditionally been explained by a combination of social, political, and economic factors. In their Perspective, [Weiss and Bradley][1] argue that there is increasing evidence for climate as the primary agent in the collapse of prehistoric and early historic societies. They also consider the possible effects of future anthropogenic climate change. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5504/609