*Light refreshments will be served starting at 4:00 pm – Registration is required for virtual attendance only. See Zoom-link at the top of the page.*

This talk investigates the construction of an environmental event in 536 CE, revealing how scholarly discourse in the natural sciences and the humanities over the past half century has transformed an ambiguous portent in the late antique literary sources into a major turning point in global history, associated with the end of antiquity and the beginning of the medieval period. Throughout the period, cutting-edge scholarship in the most esteemed venues has repeatedly interpreted the 536 event to fit contemporary public discourse, often presenting wishful thinking as fact with little supporting evidence. The challenges in the interdisciplinary research environment, as well as the porous boundaries between academic and para-academic discourse, are the causes for this phenomenon, which requires a critical reflection of our approach to interdisciplinary environmental history. 

Supported by a David A. Gardner ’69 Magic Project Grant from the Humanities Council and the Program in Medieval Studies.