According to a study published in the open-access journal, April 27, 2022, a remote community in Ireland was able to adapt to environmental change over a millennium. PLOS ONEBy Gill Plunkett, Graeme Swindles, Queen’s University Belfast (Northern Ireland), U.K.
There are many examples of past societies that were severely affected by environmental changes. These include climate change, natural catastrophes, and other dramatic ecological shifts that contribute to food crises and other calamities. However, it is difficult to determine the long-term impacts of environmental disturbances. The study examines changes in environmental and community conditions over a thousand year of occupation in the Antrim Plateau, north of Ireland.
This study looked at a peat core which recorded environmental changes over a millennium at Slieveanorra. The authors inferred changes in environmental and human occupation using data from microbes and natural plants. They also established fine-scale dating using ash layers, organic remains and historical accounts. Their record did not contain evidence of long-term disruption of human occupation caused by environmental changes.
These results are a testament to a community that was capable of either escaping the effects or regaining its strength quickly. The community’s resilience in the face of a remote occupation was likely due to social factors such as trade and agricultural practices that made them adaptable and flexible. The authors state that not all human communities will respond in the same way to environmental change. This variation can be largely attributed to the social circumstances of each population. Understanding this complexity is crucial in understanding what conditions make communities susceptible to cultural collapse when faced with environmental change.
The authors add that “Ireland’s Uplands Today seem barren” despite climate change and famines.
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