FYS 12 Climate Change: Then and Now
Climate change in the past pushed societies and empires to expand, contract, and clash with their neighbors. The Roman Empire flourished during its Climatic Optimum, a period of warm, stable weather patterns that supported agriculture and the annexation of Egypt. Yet, later periods of climate change pushed nomadic states to invade Rome’s borders, and a Late Antique Little Ice Age further stressed the empire. Across the Atlantic Ocean, the Maya flourished under positive climatic conditions and then slowly retreated due to anthropogenic drought. Into the medieval and early modern periods, the effects of the Little Ice Age between 1300 and 1850 can be seen in the near-constant string of wars, slavery, and famine that shaped North America. Can looking at episodes of climate change in the past inform how we think about climate change and the Anthropocene–our present period of human-caused climate change–now? This is an interdisciplinary seminar that will combine methods and readings from historical climatology, paleoclimatology, anthropology, and environmental science. Writing assignments throughout the course will enable participants to develop skill in expository writing, research with primary and secondary sources, and methods for historical analysis. Open only to first year frosh.