Course Description
Principles of human impact through time on ecological landscapes and how these principles can guide contemporary communities in the design of future sustainable land and water use. Special focus on the American southern piedmont covering a ten thousand year period from pre-agriculture to post-industrial societies.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be expected to explore historical ecology
from an anthropological perspective at a more demanding
theoretical and empirical level. Each graduate student will
critically synthesize the historical ecology literature by
writing a publishable paper modeled on the "Reviews in
Anthropology" format plus make a special presentation to the
class focused on a special topic in the southern piedmont.
Athena Title
HISTORICAL ECOLOGY
Undergraduate Prerequisite
ANTH 1102
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. Ground the student in social science and ecological theories, principles, and methods on long-term human impact on local environments. 2. Review a series of case studies around the world on how human populations have adapted to, modified, and created new ecological systems. 3. Master methods and data interpretation related to the archaeological record, historical documents and maps, oral histories, natural resource sampling, ethnobotany and aerial photography through direct research experience with a watershed in the piedmont of Georgia. 4. Learn writing and presentation skills by researching, composing, and presenting to the class a research paper on an aspect of Georgia piedmont's historical ecology. Student will also communicate their findings in a clear visual manner using power point, physical models, or other forms. This class will use WebCt and email to communicate findings. 5. Learn to extrapolate the findings from another time period to the present and into the future as a way to demonstrate historical ecology's potential as a societal planning tool. 6. Relate class readings, findings, and experience to the issue of policy for communities and watersheds.
Topical Outline
1. People, Land and Time: A Review of the Literature 2. Human as Creators or Destroyers of Ecosystems: Case Studies 3. Methods for Historical Ecology Research: Secondary Data 4. Methods for Historical Ecology Research: Primary Data 5. Case Study I: Indian Agriculture (4000 BP-1800) 6. Case Study II: Pioneer Farming (1800-1850s) 7. Case Study III: Yeoman Farming (1875-1950s) 8. Case Study IV: Present and Future (2000-2050) 9. Student individual or team projects on reconstruction of some aspect of piedmont life. 10. Guest speakers, films, and visits to historical sites
Syllabus