Greek amphora showing olive harvesting

© The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Expanding the Ancient World Workshop

A Sea of Troubles?: The Historical Impacts of Climate and Environment in Ancient Greece

Organized by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

This workshop will take place online; a Zoom link will be provided via email to registered participants.

Registration is required at THIS LINK.

Expanding the Ancient World is a series of professional development workshops and online resources for teachers. Keyed to the NYC Department of Education Social Studies Scope and Sequence, this program is designed to offer K-12 educators opportunities to develop their knowledge of the ancient world and to provide classroom-ready strategies for teaching the past with reliable sources. Featuring inquiry-based workshops, flexible lesson plans, and up-to-date research, Expanding the Ancient World aims to equip teachers with information and skills that they can share with their students. CTLE credits will be offered to New York State teachers.

When you think of Greece and the Aegean Sea, you might picture shining blue water, sleepy coastal villages, and sprawling olive groves. But such images mask a more hostile reality, where tectonic forces, changeable seas, and unpredictable weather present many challenges to daily life in the region. This was even more true in the deep past, when technologies of construction, transportation and agriculture were even more at the mercy of the natural world, and it may be again in the future, as the climate becomes more volatile. In this session, we will explore how the climate and environment of ancient Greece help us better understand the vibrant history of the region in the time of the Iron Age city-states, drawing on a range of physical, archaeological, and historical evidence. But we will also consider how our modern experiences of the natural world offer a way into thinking about the opportunities, constraints, and achievements of past societies in their geographical context.

Workshop led by Dominic Pollard (Institute for the Study of the Ancient World)

Participants will receive 1.5 CTLE hours.

Expanding the Ancient World is made possible by generous support from ISAW and an NYU Teaching Advancement Grant.

If you have any questions regarding the Expanding the Ancient World program please email ETAW@nyu.edu.

Please check isaw.nyu.edu for event updates.

ISAW is committed to providing a positive and educational experience for all guests and participants who attend our public programming. We ask that all attendees follow the guidelines listed in our community standards policy.