The deep History of Food - Putting Sustainability into Context

Content

Agricultural food production is one of the fundamental modes of interaction between the human species and the environment. Since its beginnings it is one of the main factors shaping the biosphere on earth. Being an important human practice, it not only shaped cultures but still is a defining factor for societies. Today food production is a major driver of climate change, but also one of the main impact areas. Understanding food production in the context of its deep past is a key aspect for a sustainable future.

This course aims at providing the basics of the current state of research concerning early food systems and the deep history of agriculture. The students get familiar with the different regions of emergence of agriculture, the chronology of its emergence and spread and will learn the most important concepts used in the current debate. After an introduction into domestication and the spread of farming, we will discuss the dynamics of human-environment interaction in different chronological and societal settings. The lectures will introduce the students into the most important methodological and theoretical approaches. The course will provide a critical overview and discussion of methods and materials and their respective limitations. Key concepts such as land use, adaptive cycle/resilience, sustainability, or food security will be discussed in different historical and methodological settings.

The course is taught in English in cooperation with researchers from the ENLIGHT network; Amaia Arranz-Otaegui from the University of the Basque Country, Hans Huisman, Daan Raemaekers, Canan Çakirlar (tbc), and Mans Schepers (tbc) from Groningen University, Anneli Ekblom and Erika Weiberg from Uppsala University.

Learning outcomes

After the course, students will be able to:

• understand the deep past of food production and agriculture.
• critically discuss the debate on domestication and the emergence of agriculture.
• contribute to the current debate on sustainable food production by contextualizing the used concepts with a historical perspective.
• understand and critically discuss key concepts such as land use, resilience, sustainability or food security.

Programme

10 weekly lectures starting on 8 of October (8.10.24–10.12.24). The course takes place online on Tuesdays, 18:15–19:45 (CET).

Students from the Universities of Bern, the Basque Country, Groningen and Uppsala can take part hybrid (physical local classroom with online access). Other students can join purely online.

Topics included (may be subject to alterations)

• The transition to Food Production in Southwest Asia
• Early Food Systems in the Alpine Foreland (Neolithic and Bronze Age)
• Early Food Systems in the Southern Balkans (Neolithic and Bronze Age)
• Agriculture in Bronze Age Southern Greece
• Food and environment in Africa: A diachronic Overview
• Early Crop Cultivation and Animal Husbandry in the Netherlands
• Archaeological and Scientific Methods in the study of Food Early Food Production and Human Impact on the Environment.

Assessment

Active participation throughout the lecture series and a written essay on a chosen topic (ca. 1500 words).

Credits: 3 ECTS

Lecturers

University of Bern

Prof. Dr. Albert Hafner - Marco Hostettler, MA

University of the Basque Country

Ass. Prof. Dr. Amaia Arrranz-Otaegui

University of Groningen

Prof. Dr. Ir. D.J. Hans Huisman - Prof. Dr. DCM Daan Raemakers - Canan Çakirlar, PhD (tbc) - Dr. Mans Schepers (tbc) 

University of Uppsala

Prof. Dr. Anneli Ekblom - Dr. Erika Weiberg

Please apply using this link: https://forms.gle/4EyUCnrik8ru3uxL8

The course is organized and coordinated by the University of Bern. Students will receive a Certificate of Attendance for their participation of the Course, as well as a Transcript of Records. Please check with your local faculty/programme/studies coordinator how the course and credits can be recognized in your curriculum.

Marco Hostettler: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.