Environmental History and the Human Factor

This course examines the long-term relationships between human societies and their environments. It explores how climate, topography, water resources, vegetation, wildlife and other environmental conditions have influenced historical processes, while also considering the ways in which human activity has transformed landscapes over time. Case studies from different regions and historical periods connect environmental change with broader social and cultural developments.

Course at a Glance

Focus: Human–environment relationships
Approach: Historical, environmental and interdisciplinary
Geographic Scope: Israel and worldwide
Key Themes: Climate, natural resources, natural disasters, industrialization, urbanization, conservation, sustainability, resilience.

Why Environmental History?

Understanding the past also requires understanding the environments in which societies developed. Environmental history provides a long-term perspective on the interactions between people and nature and helps us examine some of today’s most pressing questions concerning climate, resources, adaptation, sustainability and human impacts on the environment.

Course Objectives

  • Understand the principles of environmental history and its contribution to the study of human–environment relations
  • Identify environmental, social and economic factors that shaped human societies and cultures
  • Examine how humans influenced their environment and adapted to environmental changes
  • Analyze case studies of natural disasters, industrialization and urbanization along with their socio-ecological impacts
  • Gain familiarity with the evolution of conservation, sustainability and environmental activism in Israel and worldwide
  • Develop a critical perspective and historical methodologies for addressing 21st-century environmental challenges

View / Download Syllabus →

Course Content

Explore the major themes, questions and historical case studies examined throughout the course:

Lesson 1: Introduction to environmental history & the human-natural environments interplay

An introduction to the field of environmental history and the key questions it explores. We will examine how physical conditions, climate and resources shaped human society and how humans became a shaping force in their environment.

Bibliography:

  • Hughes (2001). An Environmental History of the World: Humankind’s Changing Role in the Community of Life, chapter 1, pp. 4–10.
  • McNeill, J.R. (2003). Observations on the Nature and Culture of Environmental History. History and Theory, 42: 5–43.
  • Levin, N. (2006). The Palestine Exploration Fund Map (1871–1877) of the Holy Land as a Tool for Analyzing Landscape Changes: The Coastal Dunes of Israel as a Case Study. The Cartographic Journal, 43(1), 45–67.

Lesson 2: Environment and the Collapse of Civilizations (Part I)

A discussion on the mechanisms of collapse in human societies and the roles of limited natural resources, climate change, and overexploitation. We will analyze the case of Easter Island and draw lessons for the modern world.


Bibliography:

  • Diamond, J. (2008). Collapse, chapter 2, pp. 79–114.
  • DiNapoli, R. J., et al. (2019). Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Monument (Ahu) Locations Explained by Freshwater Sources. PLOS ONE, 14(1), e0210409.

Lesson 4: The Eruption of Santorini as a Case Study
An analysis of the impact of a natural catastrophe on an ancient human community. We will examine how natural disasters shaped settlement patterns, mythology, technology, and social adaptation.


Bibliography:

  • Sivertsen, B. J. (2009). The Minoan Eruption, The Parting of the Sea.
  • Druitt, T. H. (2014). New Insights into the Initiation and Venting of the Bronze-Age Eruption of Santorini (Greece), from Component Analysis. Bulletin of Volcanology, 76(2), 794.

Lesson 6: Environmental History in Israel: Overview and Case Studies (Part I)
An introduction to environmental processes in the history of the Land of Israel: landscape changes, water and natural resource use, and the relationships between ecology, culture, and local identity.


Bibliography:

  • De-Shalit, A. (1995). From the Political to the Objective: The Dialectics of Zionism and the Environment. Environmental Politics, 4(1), 70–87.
  • Issar, A. S., & Guvrin, Y. (1991). Climatic Change and the Desertification of the Negev at the End of the Byzantine Period. Cathedra, 61, 67–83.
  • Mart, Y. (2010). A Short History of Sea Level and Possible Conclusions. Galileo, July 2010, pp. 26–32.

Lesson 7: Environmental History in Israel: Overview and Case Studies (Part II)
Further exploration of historical case studies—such as drainage, construction, and agricultural projects—to understand the power dynamics between humans and their environment in different periods.


Bibliography:

  • Duani, M. (2012). The Establishment of the Hula Nature Reserve as a Complementary Opposition to the Hula Drainage Project. Horizons in Geography, 78, pp. 64–81.
  • Beleslav, Y. (2012). Pollution and Purification of Tel Aviv’s Shoreline. Horizons in Geography, 78, pp. 103–121.

Lesson 10: Humans and Environment in Caesarea and Its Surroundings

Presentation of the region and its environmental challenges through the PBL (Problem-Based Learning) approach — examining environmental issues as preparation for the Field Campus.

Lesson 9: Humans and Historical Earthquakes in the Levant
A review of the impact of earthquakes on urban and social spaces throughout history. We will discuss human coping strategies and the cultural dimensions of destruction and reconstruction.


Bibliography:

  • Zohar, M., Salamon, A., & Rubin, R. (2025). A Reassessment of Earthquakes in the Land of Israel and Its Surroundings and the Damage They Caused from the First Millennium BCE to the Early Twentieth Century. Horizons in Geography.

Lesson 11: Presentation of Final Projects

The meeting will be devoted to students presentations of their final work

Lesson 12: Environmental History of the Future

Exploring human responsibility for the future of the environment and the application of historical lessons to addressing the climate crisis.


Bibliography:

  • Trachtenberg, M., Alterman, R., Ben-David, D., Perry, D., Bechor, S., Lev-Ami, S., Han, A., Katz, D., & Elkan, D. (2018). The Implications of Future Population Density Rates for Israel in 2050 — in the Fields of Economy, Housing, Education, Open Spaces, Transportation, Health, Environment, and Water. Tzafuf – Forum for Population, Environment, and Society.

Tools & Technologies

The course combines historical inquiry with environmental and spatial perspectives. Students work with historical and contemporary sources, including maps, environmental and climatic information, academic literature and digital resources for examining changes and relationships in human–natural environments. Artificial Intelligence (AI)  tools will be used while GIS-based mapping and spatial visualization may be incorporated where relevant to particular case studies.