Living on the Edge: Mediterranean Environmental History

4 credits

What defines a “Mediterranean climate”? Plentiful sunshine, hot, dry summers, and cool, wet winters? In fact, within the Mediterranean, there are countless microclimates. Some produce conditions of plenty, while others are precarious for human habitation. This colloquium examines the environmental history of the premodern Mediterranean focusing on the intersection between climate and human societies, particularly how humans respond to climate shifts in precariously arid zones. +