This book deals with the physical
parameters of the Little Ice Age (1300-1850),
the effects climatic conditions of that period had on people and how the
environmental situations influenced the broader society.
That era is particularly important for
genealogists to understand as it encompasses the time interval during which
most of the records relating to family history interest were created. It was
also the time from when surnames were first commonly used by our ancestral
families.
In assembling the most complete histories
of families it is important to understand the physical environment in which
people lived. The Little Ice Age was a cool climatic period, a time in history
when, from a physical or environmental standpoint, in comparison to the warm
periods that preceded and followed: temperatures around the globe were
substantially cooler; weather was mostly unstable; food production was
especially challenging; and living conditions overall were difficult and harsh.
These factors had enormous impact on the
lives and livelihoods of people, contributing to famine, spread of disease,
injury to being and habitat, untimely deaths, social unrest and, in many cases,
migration.
Much of the information summarized has
been taken from published articles and books researched and written by a large
and varied group of scientists and historians concerned with weather and
climate; population; economics and marketplaces; sociology; medicine;
archaeology; and geology, astrophysics, oceanography, and other natural
sciences.
Go to the Unlock the Past website for more information. www.gould.com.au/genealogy-and-the-little-ice-age/utp0151/
