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Information
| Unit | FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND LETTERS |
| ARCHAEOLOGY PR. | |
| Code | AR267 |
| Name | Environmental Archaeology |
| Term | 2026-2027 Academic Year |
| Semester | 3. Semester |
| Duration (T+A) | 2-0 (T-A) (17 Week) |
| ECTS | 5 ECTS |
| National Credit | 2 National Credit |
| Teaching Language | Türkçe |
| Level | Lisans Dersi |
| Type | Normal |
| Label | E Elective |
| Mode of study | Yüz Yüze Öğretim |
| Catalog Information Coordinator | Arş.Gör. Dr. İlkay AKLAN |
| Course Instructor |
The current term course schedule has not been prepared yet.
|
Course Goal / Objective
The aim of this course is to explain the relationship between environmental changes and cultural history, and to enable students to develop the ability to analyze the interactions of past societies with nature.
Course Content
The Environmental Archaeology course examines the interactions between humans and the environment throughout history; by analyzing climate changes and archaeological environmental data, it evaluates societies’ adaptation to nature and their cultural transformations. The course introduces methods and analytical techniques, revealing the impacts of environmental changes on economic, social, and technological structures.
Course Precondition
None
Resources
Willey, G. R. (1968). Settlement archaeology: An appraisal. In Chang, K. (ed.), Settlement Patterns, National Books Press, Palo Alto, pp. 208-226., Wilkinson, T. J. (2000). Regional approaches to Mesopotamian Archaeology: The contribution of archaeological surveys. Journal of Archaeological Research 8:219-267, C. Turney, M. Canti, N. Branch, & P. Clark, (2014). Environmental archaeology: Theoretical and practical approaches. Routledge., O. Özbek, (2012). Sea level changes and prehistoric sites on the coasts of Southern Turkish Thrace, 12,000–6000 BP. Quaternary International, 261, 162-175., Adams R. M. (1965). Land Behind Baghdad: A History of Settlement on the Diyala Plains. University of Chicago Press, Chicago., A. Konak, & M. N. Yalçin, (2025). Environmental and cultural impacts of the 8.2 ka event in Yenikapı (İstanbul/Türkiye). Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences, 34(2), 198-210.
Notes
E. Asouti, (2009). The relationship between Early Holocene climate change and Neolithic settlement in Central Anatolia, Turkey: current issues and prospects for future research. Documenta Praehistorica, 36, 1-5., Adams R. M. (1981). Heartland of Cities: Sur.eys of Ancient Settlement and Land Use on the Central Floodplain of the Euphrates. University of Chicago Press, Chicago., RAPP, G. & HILL, C. R., (1998). Geoarchaeology, Earth-science approach to archaeological interpretation, Yale University Press.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Order | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| LO01 | Understands the fundamental knowledge, scope, and methodology. |
| LO02 | Classifies the commonly used methods and analyses in environmental archaeology. |
| LO03 | Explains the importance and methods of multidisciplinary studies. |
| LO04 | Understands the data collection techniques from archaeological sites |
| LO05 | Explains the definition of climate and the impact of prehistoric climate changes on human life. |
| LO06 | Explains the impact of geomorphological changes on settlements with examples. |
| LO07 | Evaluates the impact of human activities on the environment. |
| LO08 | Provides a critical interpretation of human–environment interactions within archaeology as a subdiscipline. |
Relation with Program Learning Outcome
| Order | Type | Program Learning Outcomes | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLO01 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Understands the basic knowledge of archaeology and advanced applied knowledge. | 3 |
| PLO02 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Explains advanced knowledge, scientific results and problems related to scientific and application areas of archaeology. | 4 |
| PLO03 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Classifies archaeological data and material chronologically. | |
| PLO04 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Examines the stylistic characteristics of archaeological material. | |
| PLO05 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Uses all the skills gained in the profession of archaeology to serve society and humanity in line with national and universal needs. | |
| PLO06 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Interpret the advanced knowledge and skills acquired in archaeology with a holistic perspective. | 4 |
| PLO07 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Records archaeological data visually and verbally using technological tools. | |
| PLO08 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Takes responsibility in field studies (excavations and surveys) and projects in archaeological sites. | |
| PLO09 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Makes individual and team work in the laboratory environment where archaeological data are evaluated in written and visual form. | |
| PLO10 | Yetkinlikler - Öğrenme Yetkinliği | Evaluates the knowledge and skills acquired in the professional field with a critical approach. | |
| PLO11 | Yetkinlikler - Öğrenme Yetkinliği | Continuously improves himself/herself with the principle of lifelong development in scientific, social, artistic and cultural fields within his/her professional and individual development. | |
| PLO12 | Yetkinlikler - İletişim ve Sosyal Yetkinlik | To be able to share information about the field with experts and non-experts using Turkish and foreign languages. | |
| PLO13 | Yetkinlikler - Alana Özgü Yetkinlik | Have professional and ethical responsibility. | |
| PLO14 | Yetkinlikler - Alana Özgü Yetkinlik | Protects historical and cultural heritage. | |
| PLO15 | Yetkinlikler - Alana Özgü Yetkinlik | Organize collaborative studies for problem solving with different disciplines. | 4 |
Week Plan
| Week | Topic | Preparation | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Definition of the course, its scope, and presentation of bibliography. | Introduction | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 2 | Assessment methods used in environmental archaeology | C. Turney, M. Canti, N. Branch, & P. Clark, (2014). Environmental archaeology: Theoretical and practical approaches. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 3 | The relationship between humans, the environment, and culture. | C. Turney, M. Canti, N. Branch, & P. Clark, (2014). Environmental archaeology: Theoretical and practical approaches. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Tartışma |
| 4 | Paleoclimate | E. Asouti, (2009). The relationship between Early Holocene climate change and Neolithic settlement in Central Anatolia, Turkey: current issues and prospects for future research. Documenta Praehistorica, 36, 1-5. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 5 | An introduction to geoarchaeology. | RAPP, G. & HILL, C. R., (1998). Geoarchaeology, Earth-science approach to archaeological interpretation, Yale University Press. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 6 | Environmental Archaeology: Geoarchaeology | RAPP, G. & HILL, C. R., (1998). Geoarchaeology, Earth-science approach to archaeological interpretation, Yale University Press. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 7 | Assessment, contemporary interpretations, and debate. | Course notes | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Tartışma |
| 8 | Mid-Term Exam | General Review | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Yazılı Sınav |
| 9 | An inroduction to Zooarchaeology. | Gifford-Gonzalez, D. (2018). “An Introduction to Zooarchaeology”, Springer, Switzerland. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 10 | Assessment of zooarchaeological evidence within archaeological research | Gifford-Gonzalez, D. (2018). “An Introduction to Zooarchaeology”, Springer, Switzerland. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 11 | An introduction to Archaeobotany | Y. S. Erdal vd. (2025) Arkeolojide çok disiplinli yaklaşımlar, Ege Yayınları, İstanbul. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 12 | Gathering and assessment of archaeobotanical evidence from excavations | Y. S. Erdal vd. (2025) Arkeolojide çok disiplinli yaklaşımlar, Ege Yayınları, İstanbul. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 13 | Anthropogenic environmental effects. | Ç. Çlingiroğlu (2023). Antroposen ve yeni insan. Yeni İnsan Yayınevi, İstanbul. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım |
| 14 | Cultural effects of environmental change | Ç. Çlingiroğlu (2023). Antroposen ve yeni insan. Yeni İnsan Yayınevi, İstanbul. | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 15 | Overall assessment and debate | Course notes | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Tartışma |
| 16 | Term Exams | General Review | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Yazılı Sınav |
| 17 | Term Exams | General Review | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Yazılı Sınav |
Student Workload - ECTS
| Works | Number | Time (Hour) | Workload (Hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Related Works | |||
| Class Time (Exam weeks are excluded) | 14 | 2 | 28 |
| Out of Class Study (Preliminary Work, Practice) | 14 | 5 | 70 |
| Assesment Related Works | |||
| Homeworks, Projects, Others | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mid-term Exams (Written, Oral, etc.) | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 16 | 16 |
| Total Workload (Hour) | 120 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 (h) | 4,80 | ||
| ECTS | 5 ECTS | ||