The Archaeology of Water
Summary
How did past societies approach freshwater? Surveying archaeological case studies across different cultures, periods and regions, this course will showcase the diversity of approaches past societies adopted in relation to water and reflect on the relevance of long-term water-people history to contemporary water issues.
About
The course introduces archaeological knowledge of, and approaches to, the complex relations between people and water in the past, and shows the relevance of these to contemporary global challenges around sustainable water supply and management. The course surveys different archaeological methods and theoretical frameworks to study social behaviours and attitudes in relation to water. It does so by developing a global, long-term perspective and by discussing general and in-depth studies, examining a variety of archaeological remains, that illustrate the sheer diversity of approaches (economic, social, cultural, technological, symbolic) people employed to water across different cultures, environments and periods.
Prerequisites and selection
Entry requirements
General entrance requirements
