New Approaches in Ancient Environmental History: Methodologies, Perspectives, Sources
This “thinkshop” brings together leading scholars in ancient environmental history to develop new methodological approaches for studying human-environment interactions in antiquity. Moving beyond traditional conference formats, this workshop creates an interactive platform for exploring how diverse source materials—particularly documentary evidence such as inscriptions, sacred laws, and agricultural texts—can be read through an environmental lens.
The workshop addresses fundamental questions: How can we develop a methodological “toolbox” for ancient environmental history? What does “sustainability” mean when applied to ancient societies, and how can historical perspectives on resource management inform contemporary debates? How do we integrate often-overlooked documentary sources with literary and archaeological evidence to construct more nuanced environmental histories?
Participants will engage in extended discussions of work-in-progress, examining case studies ranging from Greek oracles and sacred groves to irrigation systems and the environmental dimensions of polis formation. Special attention will be given to ancient practices of resource regulation, concepts of environmental consciousness, and the reception of ancient environmental knowledge in later periods. By bringing together diverse perspectives and creating space for methodological experimentation, this gathering seeks to chart new directions for a field at the intersection of classics, environmental history, and sustainability studies.

Workshop Program

Tuesday, September 02

09.15-10.15    Welcome and Introduction: (Ancient) Environmental History – Interdisciplinary Perspectives

                                             - break -

10.30-12.30    Adeline Grand-Clément (U of Toulouse 2): Greek Sacred Groves: Forest Management and Resilience. A Reappraisal of Sacred Places as ‘Commons’ in Ancient Societies

12.30-13.30                     - Lunch break -

13.30-15.30    Christopher Schliephake (U of Augsburg): The Environmental Dimension of Greek Oracles – The Example of Dodona

15.30-16.00                     - Coffee break -

16.00-18.00    Orietta Dora Cordovana (U of Calabria): Myth and Environment in the Perception of Africa between Representation and Materiality

19.00                                  - Dinner - 

Wednesday, September 03

08.30-10.30    Lukas Duisen (U of Münster): The Rise of the Greek Polis from an Environmental History Perspective: Theoretical Framework, Methodological Considerations, and Sources

10.30-11.00                     - Coffee Break -

11.00-13.00    Marguerite Ronin (CNRS Nanterre): Irrigation between Agrobusiness and Solutions for the Management of Risks

                                             - City Tour: Augsburg’s Historic Water Management / Dinner -

Thursday, September 04

08.30-12.00    Plenary Session/Discussion: Ancient Environmental History, the Topic of ‘Sustainability’ and Funding Opportunities 

12.00                                  End of Workshop

Ort: Universität Augsburg – Wissenschaftszentrum Umwelt
Datum: 02.09.-04.09.25
Veranstalter: PD Dr. Dr. Christopher Schliephake (Lehrstuhl f. Alte Geschichte/Universität Augsburg) Kontakt: christopher.schliephake@uni-a.de
Hinweis: Da es sich zumeist um keine klassischen Vorträge handeln, sondern auf Grundlage von Quellenmaterial diskutiert werden wird, ist bei Interesse eine vorherige Anmeldung erwünscht – der Quellenreader wird rechtzeitig vor dem Termin per Email verschickt.