Timothy P. Newfield
Georgetown University, History, Faculty Member
- Georgetown University, Biology, Faculty MemberPrinceton University, Bloustein School/Princeton Environmental Institute, Post-Docadd
- Early Middle Ages (History), History Of Disease, Environmental History, Medical History, Veterinary History, Famine Studies, and 37 moreRinderpest, Agricultural History, Climate history, Epizootics, Early Medieval History, Early Medieval Archaeology, History of Public Health, Interdisciplinarity, European History, Famine, Disaster Studies, History of Disasters, Medieval History, Food History, Economic History, Late Antiquity, Byzantine Studies, History of History, Veterinary Medicine, Late Antique Archaeology, History of Veterinary Medicine, History of Plague, Historical Demography, Historical Climatology, Zooarchaeology, History of Medicine, Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Justinianic Plague, Anthropometrics, Medieval Studies, Malaria, Medieval Archaeology, Merovingian period, Frankish history, and Vector Biology & Controledit
Research Interests: Infectious disease epidemiology, Medieval History, History of Medicine, Environmental History, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 15 moreEarly Medieval History, Early Medieval Ireland, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Early Middle Ages (History), History of Smallpox and Vaccination, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Paleogenetics, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Smallpox, Gregory of tours, Global Epidemics, History of Epidemics, Emerging Zoonotic Disease, and Pandemics
Late antique plague has never been more contested. Recent scholarship has repeatedly questioned whether the Justinianic plague caused catastrophic mortality and supporters of the traditional narrative of a vast, depopulating sixth-century... more
Late antique plague has never been more contested. Recent scholarship has repeatedly questioned whether the Justinianic plague caused catastrophic mortality and supporters of the traditional narrative of a vast, depopulating sixth-century pandemic have dug in. Scholars have repeatedly assessed evidence thought to prove traditional narratives about the Justinianic plague, but never to everyone's liking. Things have gotten ugly and no resolution is in sight. To advance the debate and shift the focus, these pages review the use of the Black Death in accounts of the Justinianic plague. What follows demonstrates that the claim the sixth-century pandemic killed many millions is founded on centuries of uncritical treatment of late antique sources reinforced in recent generations via the overinterpretation of the first pandemic's plague diagnosis and the neglect of plague's ecological and epidemiological complexities. That the Justinianic plague was another Black Death underpins research agendas and influences the interpretation of data in diverse fields, but it is an unsubstantiated claim, one stemming from deficient interdisciplinarity and neither proven by current evidence nor provable with current methods. Only by strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, it is proposed in closing, can we begin to remedy our first-pandemic plague problems. KEYWORDS plague, Yersinia pestis, Justinianic plague, disease history, black death, pandemic
Research Interests: Ancient History, Roman History, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Medieval History, and 15 moreHistory of Medicine, Late Antique Archaeology, Mediterranean Studies, Disease ecology, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, History of Plague, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Interdisciplinary Studies, Historical epidemiology, Plague, Justinianic Plague, and Antonine Plague
Historians of medicine and disease have yet to think through a syndemic lens. This commentary aims to point out why they should. Although there are several hurdles to overcome, our histories of disease and our understanding of current... more
Historians of medicine and disease have yet to think through a syndemic lens. This commentary aims to point out why they should. Although there are several hurdles to overcome, our histories of disease and our understanding of current syndemics both stand to gain should historians begin to explore episodes of cooccurring diseases that share root causes.
Research Interests: History, Health Sciences, Medical Anthropology, Epidemiology, Infectious disease epidemiology, and 15 moreSocial Sciences, Medieval History, Syndemics, Medical Humanities, Disease ecology, Malaria, History of Plague, History Of Disease, Spatial epidemiology, Comorbidity, Measles Virus, Medical History, Multimorbidity, Smallpox, and Pathocenosis
Smallpox, caused by the variola virus (VARV), is prominent in modern histories of the ancient Mediterranean world. The disease, or the diagnosis of it, has shaped estimations of the scale and significance of epidemics and pandemics,... more
Smallpox, caused by the variola virus (VARV), is prominent in modern histories of the ancient Mediterranean world. The disease, or the diagnosis of it, has shaped estimations of the scale and significance of epidemics and pandemics, notably the 2nd-c. Antonine plague, and the burden of disease in large cities and regions densely populated in antiquity. Here we synthesize recent paleogenetic and evolutionary biological literature that casts significant doubt on the existence of a VARV that caused a disease we would recognizeclinically, ecologically, or epidemiologicallyas smallpox in antiquity. On the basis of current data, it is time archaeologists and historians began to eradicate smallpox from their histories of the ancient world.
Research Interests: Medical Anthropology, Roman History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Infectious disease epidemiology, Medieval History, and 15 moreGlobal Health, Early Medieval Archaeology, Late Antiquity, History of the Mediterranean, History Of Disease, Infectious Diseases, Mediterranean archaeology, History of Smallpox and Vaccination, Medical History, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Smallpox, History of Epidemics, Pandemics, Roman Archaeology, and Antonine Plague
Facing a warming climate, many tropical species-including the arthropod vectors of several infectious diseases-will be displaced to higher latitudes and elevations. These shifts are frequently projected for the future, but rarely... more
Facing a warming climate, many tropical species-including the arthropod vectors of several infectious diseases-will be displaced to higher latitudes and elevations. These shifts are frequently projected for the future, but rarely documented in the present day. Here, we use one of the most comprehensive datasets ever compiled by medical entomologists to track the observed range limits of African malaria mosquito vectors (Anopheles spp.) from 1898 to 2016. Using a simple regression approach, we estimate that these species' ranges gained an average of 6.5 m of elevation per year, and the southern limits of their ranges moved polewards 4.7 km per year. These shifts would be consistent with the local velocity of recent climate change, and might help explain the incursion of malaria transmission into new areas over the past few decades. Confirming that climate change underlies these shifts, and applying similar methods to other disease vectors, are important directions for future research.
Research Interests: Epidemiology, Infectious disease epidemiology, Climate Change, Climate change policy, History of Public Health, and 15 morePublic Health Policy, Disease ecology, Vector-Borne Disease, Malaria, History Of Disease, Health Policy, Climate Change Impacts, Anopheles, Vector-Borne Disease and Climate Change, Historical epidemiology, Mosquitoes and Mosquito-borne diseases, Arthropods, Climate Change in Developing Countries, Species Range Shifts, and Vector Biology & Control
The late antique (ca. mid. 5th century CE) infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano near Lugnano in Teverina (Umbria, Italy) is well-known for its association with malaria. However, less is known about the community members most... more
The late antique (ca. mid. 5th century CE) infant and child cemetery at Poggio Gramignano near Lugnano in Teverina (Umbria, Italy) is well-known for its association with malaria. However, less is known about the community members most closely connected to this cemetery space-in particular, the the infants' mothers. This paper more closely explores the health of the 62 individuals who have been recovered from the cemetery to date with the goal of exploring maternal health status at the time of infant death. Skeletal pathologies are reconsidered within the specific context of the placental fetal environment. Using a biocultural framework and analysis of nested environments, we explore the likely corresponding health of these infants' mothers during late pregnancy and breastfeeding, taking into consideration the wider context of social and cultural factors that mediated Roman women's behaviour, status, and access to resources in rural late antique Umbria. We conclude that these factors, combined with disease stress, profoundly shaped the fertility, morbidity, and mortality of this late antique community. In this context, fetal and perinatal health serve as a useful proxy for community health in the absence of adult remains.
Research Interests: Roman History, Medieval History, Bioarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Environmental History, and 15 moreLate Antique Archaeology, Malaria, Italy (History), Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Infant burial (Archaeology), Medieval Italy, Bioarcheology, Malaria Research, Mother-Infant Interaction, Cribra orbitalia, Plasmodium falciparum, Fifth century western Roman Empire, Skeletal Pathology, and Roman Archaeology
Research Interests: European History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Paleoecology, Medieval Archaeology, and 12 moreHistory of Plague, History Of Disease, Infectious Diseases, Landscape, Late Medieval Archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology, Black Death, Medical History, Late Medieval History, Mediterranean History, Historical epidemiology, and Plague
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Volcanology, Medieval History, Climate Change, Paleoclimatology, and 15 moreMedieval Studies, Climate Change Adaptation, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, Paleoclimate, History of climate studies, Famine Studies, Historical Climatology, Dendroclimatology, Climate history, History of Famines, Climate Change and Food Security, and Extreme weather events and climate variability
Research Interests: Geology, Volcanology, Climate Change, Paleoclimatology, Early Medieval History, and 12 moreMedieval Europe, Paleoclimate, Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary History, Icelandic Sagas, Medieval Chronicles, Historical Climatology, Dendroclimatology, Climate history, Volcanic hazards, Explosive volcanic eruptions, and Iceland Volcanoes
Research Interests: Medieval History, History of Medicine, Interdisciplinarity, Medieval Studies, Environmental History, and 15 moreNorthern Europe, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Medieval Europe, Viking Age Archaeology, History Of Disease, History of Smallpox and Vaccination, Medical History, Paleogenetics, Viking Age, Poxvirus, Viking and Late Norse Archaeology and History in the North Atlantic Region, and History of Diseases
The influence that meteorological, climatological and environmental factors had on historical disease outbreaks is often speculated upon, but little investigated. Here, we explore potential associations between pandemic disease and... more
The influence that meteorological, climatological and environmental factors had on historical disease outbreaks is often speculated upon, but little investigated. Here, we explore potential associations between pandemic disease and climate over the last 2,500 years in Mediterranean history, focusing on ancient disease outbreaks and the Justinianic plague in particular. We underscore variation in the quality, quantity and interpretation of written evidence and proxy information from natural archives, the comlexity of identifying and disentangling past climatological and environmental drivers, and the need to integrate diverse methodologies to discern past climate-disease linkages and leverage historical experiences to prepare for the rapid expansion of novel pathogenic diseases. Although the difficulties entailed in establishing historical climate-pandemic linkages persist to the present, this is a research area as urgent as it is complex and historical perspectives are desperately needed.
Research Interests: Roman History, Infectious disease epidemiology, Medieval History, Paleoclimatology, Environmental History, and 14 moreLate Antique Archaeology, Mediterranean Studies, History of Plague, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine History, History of the Mediterranean, Interdisciplinary History, Mediterranean archaeology, Medical History, Climate history, Justinianic Plague, Roman Archaeology, and Antonine Plague
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, Environmental History, Late Antique Archaeology, and 14 moreMedical Humanities, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, History of Plague, Late Antiquity, History of the Mediterranean, History Of Disease, Late Roman Empire, Late Roman Archaeology, Interdisciplinary History, Medical History, Barbarians and Romans in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, and Roman Archaeology
Research Interests: Ancient History, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, and 15 moreEnvironmental History, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, History of Plague, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Infectious Diseases, Late Roman Empire, Ancient DNA (Archaeology), Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Interdisciplinary History, Medical History, Plague, Barbarians and Romans in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, and Justinianic Plague
Existing mortality estimates assert that the Justinianic Plague (circa 541 to 750 CE) caused tens of millions of deaths throughout the Mediterranean world and Europe, helping to end antiquity and start the Middle Ages. In this article, we... more
Existing mortality estimates assert that the Justinianic Plague (circa 541 to 750 CE) caused tens of millions of deaths throughout the Mediterranean world and Europe, helping to end antiquity and start the Middle Ages. In this article, we argue that this paradigm does not fit the evidence. We examine a series of independent quantitative and qualitative datasets that are directly or indirectly linked to demographic and economic trends during this two-century period: Written sources, legislation, coinage, papyri, inscriptions, pollen, ancient DNA, and mortuary archaeology. Individually or together, they fail to support the maximalist paradigm: None has a clear independent link to plague outbreaks and none supports maximalist reconstructions of late antique plague. Instead of large-scale, disruptive mortality, when contextualized and examined together, the datasets suggest continuity across the plague period. Although demographic, economic, and political changes continued between the 6th and 8th centuries, the evidence does not support the now commonplace claim that the Justinianic Plague was a primary causal factor of them.
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/51/25546
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/51/25546
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Environmental History, Late Antique Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 15 moreEarly Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, History of Plague, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Early Middle Ages (History), History of Population Studies, aDNA Analysis, Paleomicrobiology, Paleogenetics, History of Medicine in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Historical epidemiology, Archaeology Of The Migration Period And The Early Middle Ages, Justinianic Plague, and Yersinia Pestis
Recent work has linked historical crises, both regional and local, with palaeoclimatic estimates of global and hemispheric climate change. Such studies tend to underemphasize the spatiotemporal and socioeconomical disparity of human... more
Recent work has linked historical crises, both regional and local, with palaeoclimatic estimates of global and hemispheric climate change. Such studies tend to underemphasize the spatiotemporal and socioeconomical disparity of human suffering and adaptive capacity as well as the complexities of past climate change. We focus herein on the effects in Scotland of a severely cold climate episode in the 1690s, associated with major tropical volcanic events including a large unidentified tropical eruption in 1695. A tree-ring based summer temperature reconstruction from the northern Cairngorms region identifies the 1690s as the coldest decade in Scotland for the last 750 years. Archival sources meanwhile reveal the 1690s as likely the worst era of crop failure, food shortage, and mortality ever documented in Scottish history. The connection appears simple-volcanic cooling triggered famine-but the drivers towards famine are far more complex. Although the unusual coldness of the 1690s was near-hemispheric in scale, it had a differential impact across northwestern Europe. Within Scotland, both lowlands and highlands experienced dire conditions, but distinct factors exacerbated the suffering in each region. We integrate historical and palaeoclimatic records to explore the influence of the volcanic cold pulse of the 1690s and its consequences in Scotland. We find that while cooling temperatures characterized the regional to larger-scale climate, vulnerability and response potential were diverse and shaped by local circumstances. The Scottish crisis of the 1690s, in the context of the kingdom's failing economy, influenced investors from all parts of society, including the nobility and entire communities, to fund the ill-fated expedition to colonize Darien in modern-day Panama. The climate crisis and the colony's collapse hindered Scotland's already sluggish economy, motivating unification with England soon after.
Research Interests: Climate Change, Early Modern History, Paleoclimatology, Environmental History, Early Modern economic and social history, and 10 moreHistory of climate studies, Climate Change Impacts, Famine Studies, Early Modern Scotland, Dendroclimatology, Climate history, Scotland, The Act of Union 1707, Little Ice Age, and The Darién Project, 1696-1707
Research Interests: Ancient History, Economic History, Environmental Science, Medieval History, Interdisciplinarity, and 13 moreEnvironmental History, Late Antique Archaeology, Mediterranean Studies, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Late Antiquity, Late Antique Art and Archaeology, Interdisciplinary History, Mediterranean archaeology, Environmental Sciences, Barbarians and Romans in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, Francia, and Interdisciplinary Humanities
Research Interests: Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Infectious disease epidemiology, Volcanology, Medieval History, and 15 moreClimate Change, Environmental History, Late Antique Archaeology, Climatic Changes, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Malaria, History of Plague, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Mediterranean archaeology, Famine Studies, Historical epidemiology, Medieval Environmental History, and Late Antique Little Ice Age
Research Interests: Palaeoclimatology, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Volcanology, Medieval History, and 15 moreClimate Change, Paleoclimatology, Interdisciplinarity, Medieval Studies, Environmental History, Late Antique Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Late Antiquity, Impacts Of Climatic Change On Agriculture, Early Middle Ages (History), Famine Studies, Historical Climatology, and Medieval Climate History
The Eldgjá lava flood is considered Iceland's largest volcanic eruption of the Common Era. While it is well established that it occurred after the Settlement of Iceland (circa 874 CE), the date of this great event has remained uncertain.... more
The Eldgjá lava flood is considered Iceland's largest volcanic eruption of the Common Era. While it is well established that it occurred after the Settlement of Iceland (circa 874 CE), the date of this great event has remained uncertain. This has hampered investigation of the eruption's impacts, if any, on climate and society. Here, we use high-temporal resolution glaciochemical records from Greenland to show that the eruption began in spring 939 CE and continued, at least episodically, until at least autumn 940 CE. Contemporary chronicles identify the spread of a remarkable haze in 939 CE, and tree ring-based reconstructions reveal pronounced northern hemisphere summer cooling in 940 CE, consistent with the eruption's high yield of sulphur to the atmosphere.
Research Interests: European History, Volcanology, Medieval History, Climate Change, Medieval Studies, and 12 moreEnvironmental History, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, History of Iceland, Archaeology of Iceland, Medieval Icelandic Literature, Famine Studies, Iceland, Climate history, Volcanoes, and Early Medieval Period
History and archaeology have a well-established engagement with issues of premodern societal development and the interaction between physical and cultural environments; together, they offer a holistic view that can generate insights into... more
History and archaeology have a well-established engagement with issues of premodern societal development and the interaction between physical and cultural environments; together, they offer a holistic view that can generate insights into the nature of cultural resilience and adaptation, as well as responses to catastrophe. Grasping the challenges that climate change presents and evolving appropriate policies that promote and support mitigation and adaptation requires not only an understanding of the science and the contemporary politics, but also an understanding of the history of the societies affected and in particular of their cultural logic. But whereas archaeologists have developed productive links with the paleosciences, historians have, on the whole, remained muted voices in the debate until recently. Here, we suggest several ways in which a consilience between the historical sciences and the natural sciences, including attention to even distant historical pasts, can deepen contemporary understanding of environmental change and its effects on human societies.
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Research Interests: European History, Veterinary Medicine, Roman History, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Medieval History, and 16 moreAnimal Studies, Environmental History, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Mediterranean archaeology, Veterinary Science, Cattle plagues, Epizootics, History of Animals, Rinderpest, History of Veterinary Medicine, History of Epidemics, Animal History, and Roman Archaeology
Research Interests: Medieval History, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), Rare Books and Manuscripts, and 9 moreManuscript Studies, Early Medieval History, History Of Disease, Ancient DNA Research, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Palaeography, Epizootics, Paleomicrobiology, and History of Animals
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Medieval History, Climate Change, Early Modern History, and 14 moreResilience, Environmental History, Climatic Changes, World History, History of Plague, Global History, History of the Mediterranean, History Of Disease, Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary History, Mediterranean archaeology, Famine Studies, Climate history, and Antonine Plague
Research Interests: European History, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, Environmental History, History of Public Health, and 12 moreEarly Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Malaria, Medieval Archaeology, History of Malaria, Late Antiquity, History Of Disease, Merovingian period, Frankish history, Historical epidemiology, Premodern History, and Vector Biology & Control
Research Interests: European History, Volcanology, Medieval History, Climate Change, Environmental History, and 11 moreEarly Medieval History, Carolingian Studies, Multidisciplinary, Famine Studies, Iceland, Multidisciplinary Collaboration, Climate history, Volcanoes, Climatic Change, Carolingian History, and Impact of Volcanic Eruptions on Climate
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, Medieval History, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, and 28 moreAnglo-Saxon Studies, Interdisciplinarity, Medieval Studies, Animal Studies, Environmental History, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), Late Antique Archaeology, Food History, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval Ireland, Late Antiquity, Carolingian Studies, History Of Disease, Zoonoses, Human-Animal Relationships, Environmental Humanities, Human-Animal Studies, Merovingian period, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Measles Virus, Epizootics, History of Animals, Rinderpest, History of Epidemics, Emerging Zoonotic Disease, and Justinianic Plague
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, Medieval History, Zooarchaeology, Environmental History, and 17 moreLate Antique Archaeology, Food History, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine History, Medieval France, Byzantine Archaeology, Medieval Germany, Famine Studies, Cattle plagues, Epizootics, Medical History, Historical Climatology, and History of Veterinary Medicine
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, Medieval History, Climate Change, Historical Demography, and 15 moreEnvironmental History, Food History, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Food and Nutrition, Carolingian Studies, Agricultural History, Early Middle Ages (History), Famine Studies, Famine, Historical Climatology, Climate change and human health, Climate history, Frankish history, and Theories of Famine
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, High Middle Ages, Medieval History, Zooarchaeology, and 11 moreMedieval Studies, Environmental History, History of Public Health, Food History, History Of Disease, Zoonoses, Agricultural History, Famine Studies, History of Animals, History of Veterinary Medicine, and Medieval Economic and Social History
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, Veterinary Medicine, Medieval History, Zooarchaeology, and 23 moreHistorical Demography, Environmental History, Veterinary Epidemiology, Food History, Early Medieval History, Carolingian Studies, History Of Disease, Agricultural History, Early Middle Ages (History), Merovingian period, Animal Husbandry, Cattle plagues, Epizootics, Merovingian and Carolingian, Medical History, Charlemagne, early Middle Ages, Frankish history, Rinderpest, History of Veterinary Medicine, Cattle, Carolingian History, and Morbillivirus
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, Medieval History, Zooarchaeology, Historical Demography, and 20 moreAnglo-Saxon Studies, Environmental History, Food History, Early Medieval History, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Carolingian Studies, History Of Disease, Zoonoses, Agricultural History, Early Middle Ages (History), Merovingian period, Famine Studies, Epizootics, Medical History, Zoonosis, Climate history, Rinderpest, History of Veterinary Medicine, and Cattle
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, High Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages, Medieval History, and 16 moreHistorical Demography, Environmental History, Veterinary Epidemiology, Food History, Late Medieval English History, Famine Studies, Cattle plagues, Black Death, Epizootics, Famine, Medical History, Late Medieval History, Rinderpest, History of Veterinary Medicine, Cattle, and Morbillivirus
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A symposium on the 1917-19 influenza pandemic, 17 October 2018, Georgetown University.
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Research Interests: Ancient History, European History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Paleoclimatology, and 13 moreMedieval Studies, Environmental History, Mediterranean Studies, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine History, Mediterranean archaeology, Historical Climatology, Pre-Columbian Archaeology, History and the Study of the Environment, and Premodern History
Research Interests: Economic History, Late Antique and Byzantine History, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, and 20 moreResilience, Environmental History, Late Antique Archaeology, Mediterranean Studies, Risk and Vulnerability, Medieval Archaeology, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine History, Latin American History, Risk and Vulnerability - Natural Hazards, Classic Maya (Archaeology), Maya Archaeology, Maya History, Latin American Environmental History, Mediterranean archaeology, Mayan Studies, Historical Climatology, Precolumbian Cultures, and Premodern History
Research Interests: Economic History, Palaeoclimatology, Ottoman History, Medieval History, Climate Change, and 14 moreEarly Modern History, Paleoclimatology, Resilience, Environmental History, Mediterranean Studies, Early Medieval History, Palynology, Ottoman Studies, Byzantine Studies, Ottoman Empire, Byzantine History, History of the Mediterranean, Agricultural History, and History of the Eastern Mediterranean
Research Interests: Palaeoclimatology, Medieval History, Climate Change, Medieval Studies, Climate Change Adaptation, and 10 moreResilience, Environmental History, Mediterranean Studies, Byzantine Studies, Byzantine History, History of the Mediterranean, Environmental Humanities, History of climate studies, Famine Studies, and Historical Climatology
Research Interests: European History, Economic History, High Middle Ages, Medieval History, Historical Demography, and 12 moreEarly Medieval History, History Of Disease, Early Middle Ages (History), Famine Studies, Black Death, Epizootics, Famine, Medical History, History of Veterinary Medicine, History of Epidemics, Justinianic Plague, and Demographic History
An interdisciplinary workshop at Princeton University, 1-3 May 2015.
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Research Interests: European History, Palaeoclimatology, European Studies, Ottoman History, Volcanology, and 16 moreMedieval History, Climate Change, Paleoclimatology, Medieval Studies, Climate Change Adaptation, Medieval Archaeology, Ottoman Studies, Dendrochronology, Byzantine Studies, Byzantine History, Byzantine Archaeology, History of climate studies, Climate Change Impacts, Historical Climatology, Dendroclimatology, and Volcanoes
Kyle Harper's The Fate of Rome, written for a popular audi
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This is the second of a three‐section review of Kyle Harper's The Fate of Rome in which we examine in detail Harper's treatment of two allegedly widespread and mortal Roman outbreaks of disease. In the case of the second‐ century Antonine... more
This is the second of a three‐section review of Kyle Harper's The Fate of Rome in which we examine in detail Harper's treatment of two allegedly widespread and mortal Roman outbreaks of disease. In the case of the second‐ century Antonine plague, we demonstrate that Harper overlooked a major controversy and instead portrayed an oversimplified narrative of a catastrophic event. In the case of the third‐century Cyprianic plague, we call attention to several glaring methodological issues in Harper's treatment of the episode, point out the absence of corresponding evidence in the papyri, and cast doubt on the linkage previously drawn between the plague and archaeology.
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This is the last of a three‐part review of Kyle Harper's The Fate of Rome. Here, we scrutinize Harper's treatment of the Justinianic Plague, demonstrating how he crafts a convincing narrative based on rhetorical flourishes but little... more
This is the last of a three‐part review of Kyle Harper's The Fate of Rome. Here, we scrutinize Harper's treatment of the Justinianic Plague, demonstrating how he crafts a convincing narrative based on rhetorical flourishes but little evidence. We call further attention to several internal contradictions within the chapter and misinterpretations of evidence. We conclude this series of articles with a reflection on Harper's deterministic approach to environmental history. While the environment appears everywhere, agency (people: society and culture) is mostly absent. We finish by emphasizing the need to develop more nuanced causal explanations for complex historical processes and suggest that future attempts to bring together such wide‐ranging material be done within interdisciplinary research teams.