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Which climate period came before the Little Ice Age?

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Line graph showing estimated temperature variations from 1000 to 2000 CE for the Northern Hemisphere and central England, with three lines representing different data sources. The chart highlights the medieval warm period around 1100-1300 and the Little Ice Age from about 1500 to 1850, followed by a sharp temperature rise in the late 20th century. Temperature is shown as deviations from the 1961-1990 average. — Little Ice Age Estimates of temperature variations for the Northern Hemisphere and central England from 1000 to 2000 ce.

The climate period that preceded the Little Ice Age was the Medieval Warm Period.12

This interval, which is estimated to have occurred roughly between 900 and 1300 CE, was characterized by relatively mild conditions in various parts of the world, particularly across the North Atlantic region. During this time, northern and central Europe experienced favorable weather that supported prosperous harvests, the expansion of agriculture, and the growth of Norse settlements in Iceland and Greenland.132

It is important to note that the existence and global reach of the Medieval Warm Period remain subjects of scientific debate, as evidence for the phenomenon is most well-documented in the North Atlantic, while other regions of the world lack consistent data indicating high temperatures during this specific interval.32