History of the Plague
These articles look at the historical sources that may help to trace the spread of the Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, considering how it spread from East Asia to other parts of the world.
diseases
Syphilis in South America: A Closer Look at Pre-Contact Bolivia
This article presents findings from an interdisciplinary study of the Loma Salvatierra archaeological site, which contribute to the discussion about the origins of venereal syphilis by further clarifying a likely origin and route of transmission of syphilis from the Old World to the New.
Polluted Water
This article discusses the shift in perception regarding polluted water. When did perceptions of polluted water change, when was it no longer considered a part of everyday life? And what caused the tide to turn?
Nutritional Science, Health, and Changing Northern Environments
This essay is drawn from a larger research project that examines the expansive, varied, and complex region of Northern Canada in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Sickness, Hunger, War, and Religion: Multidisciplinary Perspectives
About this issue
Disease, hunger, war, and religion have shaped human existence over many centuries. This volume of RCC Perspectives presents exciting syntheses between research in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and history.
Content
Sacred Cow, Mad Cow: A History of Food Fears
Ferrieres, Madeleine. Sacred Cow, Mad Cow: A History of Food Fears. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.
The Great Gypsy Moth War: The History of the First Campaign in Massachusetts to Eradicate the Gypsy Moth, 1890-1901
The untold story behind the importation and release of the gypsy moth in North America.
“Risky Zoographies: The Limits of Place in Avian Flu Management”
Natalie Porter analyses a participatory health intervention in Việt Nam to explore how avian influenza threats challenge long-held understandings of animals’ place in the environment and society.
Inescapable Ecologies: A History of Environment, Disease, and Knowledge
An original history of “ecological” ideas of the body as it unfolded in California’s Central Valley.