Archives of Earth - Archives of Mankind

The Mediterranean is a highly active seismic region, where earthquakes also occurred with great frequency in ancient times. In this course, we will focus on historical sites that have been affected by extraordinary historical events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and ask ourselves how their transmission looks like in the different “archives” of the earth. The focus is on the study of ancient earthquakes as a phenomenon on the borderline between natural and cultural science, and therefore the following questions are in the foreground: How are natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods explained? Are they considered supernatural phenomena for which gods are responsible? Is there an awareness of man’s destruction of nature and man’s influence on natural disasters? Are there approaches to explain such disasters “scientifically”? How did ancient people struggle to “mentally cope” with natural disasters such as earthquakes? What is the impact of earthquakes on ancient societies? Do possibilities of reconstructing seismic events still exist today? How is the relationship between event and literary record to be located?