Climate change, extreme weather events and issues of human perception

Bell, M. (2012) Climate change, extreme weather events and issues of human perception. Archaeological Dialogues, 19 (01). pp. 42-46. ISSN 1478-2294 doi: 10.1017/S1380203812000050

Abstract/Summary

The central proposition of Toby Pillatt is that in developing an understanding of past human affairs weather is as important as, or more so than, climate. Climate may be simply defined as average weather, whilst weather is the day-to-day occurrence of atmospheric phenomena which impact in perceptible ways on people's lives. The general proposition is sound enough; the challenges come in implementing these ideas in ways which advance our understanding of past people–environment relationships.