Social and biophysical vulnerability of prehistoric societies to Rapid Climate Change

Abstract

Previous studies of the impact of Rapid Climate Change (RCC) on prehistoric com- munities have often been restricted in their explanatory power due to the lack of an appropriate analytical tool capable of combining palaeoclimate data with archaeological culture. In this paper, we seek to remedy this shortfall by introducing theoretical-methodological concepts adapted from modern vulnerability and risk studies. Using this approach, our focus shifts from climate proxies to prehistoric cultures themselves.