2024/2025

Climate, Crops, and Crisis?

Examining Agricultural Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in Prehistory

Natural Sciences
Project illustration: Hands with barley. Photo by Annette Øvrelid. Edit by Camilla K. Elmar/CAS.

Principal investigators

Rosie (Rosemary Rhiannon) Bishop

Associate Professor
University of Stavanger (UiS)
Year at CAS
Research Area
Archaeology

Abstract

How resilient were prehistoric farmers to climate deterioration? The project at CAS will provide an innovative, interdisciplinary dialogue to determine the best methods for identifying agricultural adaptation, resilience and vulnerability to climate change in the archaeological record. We will focus specifically on two case-study areas - Northern Scotland and Southern Norway - with similar climatic but contrasting cultural and agricultural histories, during the 4th to 1st millennium BC. A considerable quantity of data is available from different disciplines for the study area, and by integrating this data, we can now provide a sophisticated understanding of human-climate interactions in the past. The results will provide time-depth for understanding human adaptations to climate, with resonance beyond archaeology.

Fellows

Andrew Dugmore

Professor
University of Edinburgh
Year at CAS
Research Area
Geography

Anne Elisabeth Bjune

Professor
University of Bergen (UiB)
University of Bergen
Year at CAS
Research Area
Biology /
Climate research /
Natural Sciences
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Amy Bogaard

Professor
University of Oxford
Year at CAS

Kenny Brophy

Senior Lecturer
University of Glasgow
Year at CAS
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Sean Denham

Senior Researcher
University of Stavanger (UiS)
Year at CAS
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Daniel Fredh

Associate Professor
University of Stavanger (UiS)
Year at CAS
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Daniel Hill

Lecturer
University of Leeds
Year at CAS

Pete Langdon

Professor
University of Southampton
Year at CAS
Research Area
Geography

Ingrid Mainland

Professor
University of the Highlands and Islands
Year at CAS
Research Area
Archaeology

Astrid Johanne Nyland

Associate Professor
University of Stavanger (UiS)
Year at CAS
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Anette Sand-Eriksen

PhD Candidat
University of Oslo (UiO)
Year at CAS

Steinar Solheim

Associate Professor
University of Oslo (UiO)
Year at CAS
Research Area
Archaeology
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Scott Timpany

Associate Professor
University of the Highlands and Islands
Year at CAS

Affiliated researchers

Sarah-Jane
Haston

PhD Student
University of the Highlands and Islands

Kayleigh
Letherbarrow

PhD Student
University of St Andrews

Ida
Tegby

PhD student/Doktorgradstipendiat
University of Stavanger (UiS)

Rob
Wilson

Professor
University of St Andrews