This past Fall Term, students in HISTORY 215: The History of Disaster learned about the global history of natural disasters, including the aridification and sandstorms that led to the abandonment of the town of Karanis, Egypt, in the 4th–5th centuries AD. The students in HISTORY 215 explored the many ways that man-made environmental change affected the population of Karanis and how these changes manifest themselves in the archaeological record. Searching the Karanis archival and artifact holdings at the Kelsey Museum, the students were able to draw modern parallels between Karanis and modern climate events, such as the Dust Bowl of the American Plains and Hurricane Sandy.

You can explore their interpretations about Karanis in the story map projects listed below.