Climate Change and the Productive Landscape in the Mediterranean Region in the Roman Period

Erdkamp, Paul

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-81103-7_14

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…These relationships are nonlinear, with extremes in either direction of temperature or rainfall threatening to reduce yields (56). Much of Italy is hilly, and elevation changes between the Apennine uplands and coastal lowlands ensure local variation and differing responses to short-term environmental stimuli (57). Within the ranges of variation indicated by our record, it is likely that warmer and more humid conditions were conducive to superior agricultural output, while cooler and drier conditions depressed productivity and increased the chance of catastrophic harvest failure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…While there is debate about the extent and mechanisms of the climate's influence on social dynamics, there is agreement that regionally specific and high-resolution proxy records have the greatest potential to cast light on the impact of past climate change (1). Despite a relatively well-developed literature on the impact of climate change in Roman times, analysis has been limited by the lack of reliable high-resolution paleoclimate records for Roman Italy (4,(11)(12)(13).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate change, society, and pandemic disease in Roman Italy between 200 BCE and 600 CE

Zonneveld,

Harper,

Klügel

et al. 2024

Sci. Adv.

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Records of past societies confronted with natural climate change can illuminate social responses to environmental stress and environment-disease connections, especially when locally constrained high–temporal resolution paleoclimate reconstructions are available. We present a temperature and precipitation reconstruction for ~200 BCE to ~600 CE, from a southern Italian marine sedimentary archive—the first high-resolution (~3 years) climate record from the heartland of the Roman Empire, stretching from the so-called Roman Climate Optimum to the Late Antique Little Ice Age. We document phases of instability and cooling from ~100 CE onward but more notably after ~130 CE. Pronounced cold phases between ~160 to 180 CE, ~245 to 275 CE, and after ~530 CE associate with pandemic disease, suggesting that climate stress interacted with social and biological variables. The importance of environment-disease dynamics in past civilizations underscores the need to incorporate health in risk assessments of climate change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change, society, and pandemic disease in Roman Italy between 200 BCE and 600 CE

Zonneveld,

Harper,

Klügel

et al. 2024

Sci. Adv.

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“…This period was exceptionally warm (Ljungqvist, 2010) but better for cereal production than present‐day environments (Dermody et al, 2014). There is no consensus on the humidity at that time (Dermody et al, 2011) although significant regional variability is probable (Erdkamp, 2019). Some studies point to increasing aridity in the Western Mediterranean throughout the Roman period, accompanied by intense landscape anthropization (Currás et al, 2012; Ejarque et al, 2022; Martín‐Puertas et al, 2008; Peña Monné, 2018; Peña‐Monné et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure, evolutionary context and chronological data of the Monforte de Moyuela Roman dam (Ebro Basin, NE of Spain)

et al. 2022

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The Monforte de Moyuela dam, also known as Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar dam, is a Roman reservoir built on a tributary of the Aguasvivas River (Ebro basin, Spain).A multidisciplinary study has been carried out to investigate this kind of Roman water infrastructure. It is the fifth-highest dam (16.8 m) in the Iberian Peninsula and the seventh in the Roman Empire. The initial dam was built ca. 100 B.C.-10 A.D., probably in the period of Augustus, like other nearby Roman dams. It was quickly filled due to the extreme and generalized anthropic degradation in the basin during the Roman period. During the mid-2nd century, the wall was increased in height and its final silting was dated to the early 7th century. The study of the opus caementicium mortars shows constructive differences between the initial and subsequent phases of the wall. These mortars provided charcoal for dating the two phases. In addition, the stratigraphic and edaphological study of the reservoir's sedimentary fill, together with the 14 C ages, allowed us to reconstruct the two main activity cycles and the final siltation of the dam.Subsequently, the dam broke in two phases, which created the two stepped sections located on the current valley bottom. The data obtained allowed the creation of a geomorphological map and an evolutionary model of the valley showing the main differentiated stages, from the initial construction of the dam to its final opening. Although some remains of canals downstream of the dam have been identified, the use of this dam, which remained active for several centuries, still needs to be investigated in greater detail.

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Saving Up for a Rainy Day? Climate Events, Human-Induced Processes and Their Potential Effects on People’s Coping Strategies in the Mycenaean Argive Plain, Greece

Timonen

Brysbaert

2021

Palgrave Studies in Ancient Economies

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Climate Change and the Productive Landscape in the Mediterranean Region in the Roman Period

Cited by 8 publications

References 62 publications

Climate change, society, and pandemic disease in Roman Italy between 200 BCE and 600 CE

Climate change, society, and pandemic disease in Roman Italy between 200 BCE and 600 CE

Structure, evolutionary context and chronological data of the Monforte de Moyuela Roman dam (Ebro Basin, NE of Spain)

Saving Up for a Rainy Day? Climate Events, Human-Induced Processes and Their Potential Effects on People’s Coping Strategies in the Mycenaean Argive Plain, Greece

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