How did pre-industrial societies fit into the various ecological systems of western Eurasia? How different were the adaptations of people in Scandinavia, Normandy, or Andalusia to the climate, landscape, other animals, and vegetation of their regions? What ecological forces made some communities collapse and others thrive? Did nature determine what humans could do, and what they actually did? What impact did pre-industrial human activity have on the European environment? These are some of the main questions Hist. 236 asks. The course focuses on the ancient, medieval, and early modern periods (roughly 300 BC to AD 1800), and ranges widely across the vast and diverse landmass of “Europe” (with some detours into the relevant sea masses, too). While offering a long view of environmental change, it shows that before the Industrial Revolution, just as in later industrialized societies, European people were entangled in nature and that their history was shaped by ecological relationships. As contemporary societies uncertainly navigate environmental change, it becomes more important to understand how past societies coped with their own mutable environments. Hist./ Environ. 236 advances that understanding. Hist./ Environ. 236 meets twice per week, mixing discussion with lectures. A mid-term test, a take-home final exam, and two 5-page essays are required. Assigned readings are available on Canvas.

Intended Audience:

Any and all. Suitable for students at every class-level.