Date/Time
Date(s) - 29/09/2025
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Black Box - Maison des Sciences Humaines
Categories
We are pleased to announce that the first “Let’s Talk About History” lecture of this semester will take place on Monday, September 29th, 2025, from 18:30 to 20:00 (registration opens at 18:15) at the Black Box, Maison des Sciences Humaines.
We will have the pleasure of welcoming Ingmar Unkel from Heidelberg University, Professor of Physical Geography of the Anthropocene and Fellow of the Marsilius Kolleg. He will present a lecture on the theme: “The Impact of Empire: Carrying Capacity of Eastern Mediterranean Landscapes under Societal Constraints”, which examines the complex relationship between water scarcity and socio-economic resilience.
Lecture Abstract
The lack of water is a serious threat to all societies at all times, especially in regions such as the Mediterranean. However, a simple, linear relationship between less rainfall and the decline of societies falls short of the mark. While archaeologists often approach the topic of water scarcity and its impact on socio-economic systems in terms of economic or political mechanisms, Ingmar Unkel focuses on natural water availability for plants and the consequences that follow. The resilience of societies to (hydrological) natural hazards depends on the land-use potential of the region: Which locations are suitable for which type of land use? What is the quality of the soil? How much agricultural land is available at all? Ultimately, it is a social question of how land-use potential was dealt with in the past in various areas of governance, and whether this can still be seen in geoarchaeological archives.
When? Monday, September 29th, from 18:30 to 20:00
Where? Black Box, Maison des Sciences Humaines, Belval Campus
As usual, the lecture will be followed by a convivial drink.
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/billets-the-impact-of-empire-carrying-capacity-of-eastern-mediterranean-landscape-1569451073409?aff=erelexpmlt
We look forward to seeing many of you there !