Theme:
2. Net Zero Archaeologies – Sustainability in the Past, Present and Future
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Human Impact as a Primary Cause of Environmental Transformation: Urbanization in Central Asia and Iran from Prehistory to Historical Periods
Content:
Human activities strongly affected the environment over the millennia and changed the local landscape(s) in different ways. Extensive agricultural projects, management of water resources, deforestation, intensive grazing vegetation, ore mining, burning fossil fuels, pollution, and more recently extraction of oil and gas, have tremendously impacted the environment of Central Asia and Iran (e.g., the Aral Sea region). Since the 3rd millennium BCE, early urbanization largely contributed to shaping the local landscape in the regions such as the Iranian Plateau, the Kopet-Dagh piedmont, the Murghab alluvial fan, the Oxus region, and later also in the oases of Sogdiana.
This session aims to explore the impact that urban system(s) had as a primary cause of environmental transformation in Central Asia and Iran, from prehistory to historical periods.
We welcome multidisciplinary contributions on the following questions (but not limited to):
- How urbanization modified the local environment
- How the local environment influenced local urbanization
- How local communities adapted to often harsh semi-arid environments and (re)adjusted urban strategies
- How water management planning, in and around urban areas, has shaped the local environment and what consequences intensive agriculture has brought
We would like to explore and analyze the topic with a holistic approach, and we encourage papers from different fields, including (but not limited to) remote sensing, geoarchaeology, architecture, archaeology, and history. The main aim of the session is to expand our knowledge on this subject and connect scholars from different (sub)fields studying Central Asia and Iran, and to have the opportunity to discuss and explore new constructive approaches.
Keywords:
Human Impact, Environment, Urbanization, Central Asia, Iran
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
yes
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
yes
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Barbara Cerasetti (Italy) 1
Co-organisers:
Roberto Arciero (Netherlands) 2
Ladislav Stančo (Czech Republic) 3
Affiliations:
1. ISMEO – The International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies
2. Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University
3. Institute for Classical Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague
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