Introduction to the environmental history of the premodern world, and specifically (although not exclusively) medieval Europe, and with a parallel focus on the integration of paleoecology and paleoclimate data into historical narratives. The principle questions governing this course are: (1) How do we “know” about the past (and what are the range of sources we can use)? (2) In what ways are climate, environment, and human activities related? (3) How do humans think about the world around them?