ABSTRACT
Resilience theory, a theoretical framework originally outlined in ecological studies and later co-opted by social scientists observes human-environmental dynamics through recurring stages of adaptation ignited by an ecological disturbance. This concluding chapter reviews all 17 contributions in this volume and provides an overview of the different kinds of responses adopted by medieval societies beset by environmental hazards. Climate change, increased social vulnerability and demographic exposure are frequently cited as factors. The concept of adaptive cycles offers clear advantages to archaeologists investigating ecological adaptation, even though some will have reservations about its applicability and may well dislike the way in which ‘the individual’ can be lost within its normative structure. The case studies presented and discussed throughout this volume are necessarily only a limited sample but one which is representative of the wide array of responses by medieval societies facing the disruption of natural disaster.
