Past Societies

The Kiel Graduate School 'Human Development in Landscapes' has conducted research on socio-environmental issues of past societies during the last years. From the North Atlantic to the Persian Gulf and from Peru to the Near East, different attempts on the interfluve of environments and societies in landscapes describe certain historical moments and processes in which the interplay of ecological and societal factors is entangled. Events, processes and structures are described on local, regional and global scales as well as methodological developments on ecological and societal archives.The selected case studies are linked by the general idea of the ability to integrate discovery, documentation, description and interpretation within the scope of analyses and synthesis. Thus, the interdisciplinary framework of the Kiel Graduate School formed the agenda for a holistic approach. 'Landscapes of power', transitions during neolithisation processes, maritime and other networks, site formation dynamics, 'landscapes of identities' and the 'making of heritage' are only a few topics included in this book. The closeness of human behaviour in certain environmental conditions becomes obvious despite the often huge distance in time and space. At the same time, one of the strengths of humanistic science becomes apparent: its commitment to a culture of knowledge across borders.Contents