Meteorological Disasters in Medieval Britain (AD 1000‒1500). Archaeological, Historical and Climatological Perspectives within a Wider European Context

Brown, Peter J. (2023) Meteorological Disasters in Medieval Britain (AD 1000‒1500). Archaeological, Historical and Climatological Perspectives within a Wider European Context. Historical Catastrophe Studies / Historische Katastrophenforschung . De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-071962-8

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Abstract

When high-magnitude meteorological hazards impact vulnerable human populations, disasters are the inevitable consequence. Through archaeological and historical evidence, this book investigates how these sudden and unpredictable events affected British medieval populations (AD 1000-1500). Medieval society understood disasters in a practical sense and took steps to minimise risk by constructing flood defences and reinforcing structures damaged by storms. At the same time, natural hazards were widely interpreted through a framework of religious and superstitious beliefs and a wide variety of measures were followed to secure protection against the dangers of the natural world. Disasters, therefore, were interpreted through a duality of understanding in which their occurrence could be the result of spiritual or superstitious triggers but practical solutions were a key component in mitigating their tangible impacts. In evaluating this duality, this book focuses on specific case studies and considers both their diverse historical contexts as well as their consequences for society against the backdrop of significant demographic and climatic change—as a result of the Black Death and the transition to the Little Ice Age.

Item Type:	Book
Additional Information:	This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For details go to <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/>.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Natural disasters, Medieval beliefs, Resilience, Flooding
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Depositing User:	dr Vincenzo De Luise
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2024 18:32
Last Modified:	13 Apr 2024 17:23
URI:	http://www.rmoa.unina.it/id/eprint/4668

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