Professor Kyle Harper

Right. And this is a very, very active area of research. It's one that I think is interesting and I'm still open-minded and I'm kind of excited to see what we learn in the next 10 years or so. A lot of this is very difficult. I would even separate the Goths and the Huns. The Goths

Right. And this is a very, very active area of research. It's one that I think is interesting and I'm still open-minded and I'm kind of excited to see what we learn in the next 10 years or so. A lot of this is very difficult. I would even separate the Goths and the Huns. The Goths

are a difficult people group to study because we're so reliant on archaeology, but there's lots of it and it's very good archaeology and we know a lot. So I wouldn't understate the challenges, but I would also emphasize that we've learned an incredible amount. Whereas the Huns are just next level difficult to understand. We don't We struggle to know who they are.

are a difficult people group to study because we're so reliant on archaeology, but there's lots of it and it's very good archaeology and we know a lot. So I wouldn't understate the challenges, but I would also emphasize that we've learned an incredible amount. Whereas the Huns are just next level difficult to understand. We don't We struggle to know who they are.

are a difficult people group to study because we're so reliant on archaeology, but there's lots of it and it's very good archaeology and we know a lot. So I wouldn't understate the challenges, but I would also emphasize that we've learned an incredible amount. Whereas the Huns are just next level difficult to understand. We don't We struggle to know who they are.

They play a major role in history, although even that has been contested, whether or not we exaggerate it, whether Ammianus Marcellinus, the contemporary historians going to the 4th and 5th century are exaggerating the role of the Huns. So the difficulties are hard to overstate. There's archaeology, but it's more difficult. They're a nomadic group.

They play a major role in history, although even that has been contested, whether or not we exaggerate it, whether Ammianus Marcellinus, the contemporary historians going to the 4th and 5th century are exaggerating the role of the Huns. So the difficulties are hard to overstate. There's archaeology, but it's more difficult. They're a nomadic group.

They play a major role in history, although even that has been contested, whether or not we exaggerate it, whether Ammianus Marcellinus, the contemporary historians going to the 4th and 5th century are exaggerating the role of the Huns. So the difficulties are hard to overstate. There's archaeology, but it's more difficult. They're a nomadic group.

They're harder to pin down in every way archaeologically. They're culturally adaptive, so they clearly at times are allied with and integrating their society with Germanic groups beyond the Rhine and Danube. And so it's very difficult to piece together who are the Huns? What's their real role in history? Much less than to go a level even deeper, which is to

They're harder to pin down in every way archaeologically. They're culturally adaptive, so they clearly at times are allied with and integrating their society with Germanic groups beyond the Rhine and Danube. And so it's very difficult to piece together who are the Huns? What's their real role in history? Much less than to go a level even deeper, which is to

They're harder to pin down in every way archaeologically. They're culturally adaptive, so they clearly at times are allied with and integrating their society with Germanic groups beyond the Rhine and Danube. And so it's very difficult to piece together who are the Huns? What's their real role in history? Much less than to go a level even deeper, which is to

to try and understand causally what causes them to show up. Why are they a formidable challenge in the 4th and 5th century? But I think you can certainly start to build a really plausible case that nomadic groups are dependent on the grassland, on the steppe, for their herds. They can move great distances very quickly. This is what they do.

to try and understand causally what causes them to show up. Why are they a formidable challenge in the 4th and 5th century? But I think you can certainly start to build a really plausible case that nomadic groups are dependent on the grassland, on the steppe, for their herds. They can move great distances very quickly. This is what they do.

to try and understand causally what causes them to show up. Why are they a formidable challenge in the 4th and 5th century? But I think you can certainly start to build a really plausible case that nomadic groups are dependent on the grassland, on the steppe, for their herds. They can move great distances very quickly. This is what they do.

And they benefit from climate conditions that allow the basis of their wealth, their economic system to multiply and flourish. And so, you know, I think that we need to try and tease out like what's going on on the step. Are there phases when probably there's population growth because there's economic strength?

And they benefit from climate conditions that allow the basis of their wealth, their economic system to multiply and flourish. And so, you know, I think that we need to try and tease out like what's going on on the step. Are there phases when probably there's population growth because there's economic strength?

And they benefit from climate conditions that allow the basis of their wealth, their economic system to multiply and flourish. And so, you know, I think that we need to try and tease out like what's going on on the step. Are there phases when probably there's population growth because there's economic strength?

Are there phases where there's economic challenge because there's, say, extreme aridity? And then do these change over time? And there's increasingly pretty good evidence.

Are there phases where there's economic challenge because there's, say, extreme aridity? And then do these change over time? And there's increasingly pretty good evidence.

Are there phases where there's economic challenge because there's, say, extreme aridity? And then do these change over time? And there's increasingly pretty good evidence.