Tell-Tale Signs of Extreme Climate Events
A Call for Papers for Sessions planned at the International Medieval Congress in Leeds, 5th to 8th of July 2021
In 536 CE, extreme weather events across the world disrupted human, animal and plant life to extremes. Whether caused by volcanic eruption, meteorite impact or any other cause — the drop in temperature, now called the “Late Antique Little Ice Age”, made an impact in both human memory as well as history and art besides leaving evidence in archaeological remains, geography and environmental evidence
The aim of this session is to present the effects of Extreme Climate Events not just through the lens of the written record but also through the material testimony to these events in archaeology and art. Therefore, the organizers call upon interested historians, art historians and archaeologists to team-up on events of Extreme Climate of their choice to present both the written, artistic and /or archaeological impact in context of each other.
The session is constructed around four 15-minute papers with each set of two papers covering one catastrophic climate event of the tag-teams choice. Alternatively, a session could also be constructed around three papers on the same event, covering historiography, art and archaeology.
The events have to be set within the usual time-frame of the International Medieval Congress, 300 CE to 1500 CE, yet there are no geographical boundaries as to the location of the event.
We are especially inviting PhD students as well as academics of all career stages and independent scholars to submit their paper proposals of no more than 250 words and the usual information of academic affiliation & contact information to Daniel and Stefanie before the 7th of September 2020.
