Shakespeare’s ecopolitics revealed in new book
A new book proposes that William Shakespeare was making radical statements about ecopolitics and environmental issues in many of his later plays.
Environmental History in Scotland with Bess Rhodes
Kate Buchanan is joined by Bess Rhodes as they talk about Scottish Environmental History, focusing on sustainability and regulations in Late Medieval Scotland.
Southern Africa’s largest medieval city had an extensive water management system, researchers find
Great Zimbabwe, the largest city in southern Africa during the Middle Ages, made use of dozens of large pits to store water. A new study reveals how this system allowed the community to manage a stable water supply in a region prone to drought.
Lead mining and lead pollution in the Roman world, with Paul Stephenson
A conversation with Paul Stephenson about the impact of lead mining and smelting on the miners themselves, the communities around them, and on plants, animals, and human beings across the Roman Empire. This is part of a broader and ongoing project on metallurgy and environmental violence.
Severe drought may have led the Huns to attack the Roman Empire, study suggests
Hunnic peoples migrated westward across Eurasia, switched between farming and herding, and became violent raiders in response to severe drought in the Danube frontier provinces of the Roman empire, a new study argues.
Islamic Gardens in the Middle Ages with D. Fairchild Ruggles
The Middle Ages was a time in which people were closely tied to plants and their environment, deeply aware of their potential as a source of food, healing and beauty. Islamic gardens were especially known for their creativity and innovation. This week, Danièle speaks with D. Fairchild Ruggles about their cultural significance and the ingenious ways they were cultivated.
The Consequences of Climate Change on the Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was affected by climate change. New research reveals how warming and cooling trends correspond to economic upswings and declines that took place in Byzantium.
ArcheoBotany and the Secrets of Plants
Have you ever heard of archeobotany? It’s the study of ancient plants! Alice Wolff tells Lucie Laumonier about her research, which takes her from the fields to the lab.
Corrupted Air and Water: Pollution in Medieval Cities
When poop and entrails filled the Thames. Dealing with urban pollution in the Middle Ages.
Trees have histories too, with Alexander Olson
A conversation with Alexander Olson about the secret lives of olive trees and oak trees in Byzantium. Contrary to what you may think, these were not cultivated consistently in the Mediterranean ecosystem of the Middle Ages; their uses to the human population fluctuated over time, giving the trees a history of their own, albeit one shaped by that of the people around them (and vice versa).
Drought led to the end of Norse Greenland settlement, researchers find
New research suggests it wasn’t dropping temperatures that helped drive the Norse from Greenland, but drought.
Medieval Zanzibar’s environment damaged by urban growth, study finds
Humanity’s impact on the environment is often framed in the context of the post-industrial era but new archaeological research reveals how intensive land use by a medieval East African population altered their natural habitat forever.
Environmental Disasters in Medieval France
How did medieval people deal with natural disasters? In this episode of the Medieval Grade Podcast, Lucie speaks with Brian Forman, whose research focuses on responses to environmental disasters in three late medieval communities of medieval France. As we find out in the podcast, late medieval municipalities implemented a wide array of strategies to mitigate and prevent climatic catastrophes, sometimes religious, and at other times practical.
Ball lightning was seen in 1195, researchers find
Researchers have discovered what appears to be the earliest known account of a rare weather phenomenon called ball lightning, which took place in the year 1195
How volcanic eruptions contributed to the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties
Volcanic eruptions may have triggered abrupt climate changes contributing to the repeated collapse of Chinese dynasties over the past 2,000 years, according to new research.
Waste Management in Medieval Scotland with Richard Oram
Kate Buchanan and Richard Oram talk about the everyday task of dealing with waste in Medieval Scotland. Covering both urban setting and elite residences, this episode outlines what people thought about and did with their daily waste.
Crusaders of Climate Change? The Debate on Global Warming between the Medieval and the Present Age
Through such a debate, the study of medieval history could become more helpful for present considerations on climate change and more resistant against deliberate misinterpretation.
Can botany provide a window to our medieval past?
Can botany provide a window to our medieval past? Paper by Fiona MacGowan Given at the BSBI Irish Spring Conference, on March 27,…
The watery miracles of Italian saints
A new study examines the cultural impacts of climate change in Italy during the Early Middle Ages.
How to Grow Organic Food like Medieval Farmers
If nothing else works, you could bring the vermin to justice.
Researchers see parallels between 14th century drought and current climate change
New research about medieval weather conditions has revealed that a severe drought that struck Europe in the early 14th-century displays similarities with the 2018 weather anomaly, which also left the continent experiencing exceptional heat and drought.
A Medieval Peasants’ Winter
Coping with cold and snow, the medieval way.
Climate change caused the demise of Central Asia’s medieval civilizations, study finds
A new study challenges the long-held view that the destruction of Central Asia’s medieval river civilizations was a direct result of the Mongol invasion in the early 13th century.
How changing from a tribal to a feudal society impacted the local environment
The transition from tribal to feudal living, which occurred throughout the 14th century in Lagow, Poland had a significant impact on the local ecosystem, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.