Seminar – 26 January – Nicola Di Cosmo

Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey

Towards a Climate History of the Mongol Empire: Assumptions, Methods and Perspectives

Is there a role for climate in the history of the Mongol empire?  The talk will survey recent paleoclimatic studies and examine the relationship between climate variability and historical events relative to the rise of the Mongol empire and subsequent conquests.  Through the study of specific cases, climatic issues will be addressed not so much in terms of “causation” but rather in terms of research methods, aiming to achieve a better understanding of climate-related questions in historical analysis. Ultimately, the purpose of the talk is to raise awareness of what climate data can contribute to our knowledge of the Mongol empire.

Please email miasu-admin@socanth.cam.ac.uk to book a space.