https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1057Aim is to enable students to assess the best method(s) for any kind of climate research dealing with both longer and shorter time scales. This also implies obtaining knowledge and insight in past, present and future climate change which is earth sciences, archaeology, and social sciences based. Students also learn about strategies of adaptation and resilience to climate change developed by past societies in both marginal and none marginal places. Finally students learn to put into perspective present and future climate research through study ofclimate research of the past half a century (e.g. IPCC-reports).How did climate during the Quaternary shape the development of Human ancestors during this time period? How have people adapted (or failed to adapt) to marginal and non-marginal environments and to climate change? How can we distinguish between natural versus anthropogenic climate change, and what are Future perspectives regarding climate change? These questions lead to looking at climate change on a longer time scale, focusing on the early hominids. It also implies looking at a variety of climate research methods ranging from the natural sciences focusing on the longer time scale to historical climatology focusing on the shorter time scale. To be able to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic climate change, there is also a need to investigate strategies of adaptation of past communities to climate change, gaining insight in and understanding of their resilience and even of their perception of past climate and weather conditions. The focus of the course is on the following thematic questions: 1. How did large and abrupt climate change events interact with the development of humans and/or hominids from the Pleistocene to the Holocene? Assess the complex reciprocal relationship between human societies and climate. Analyse relation of ‘spikes’ in climate records with archaeological and historical events. 2. How can we distinguish between natural and anthropogenic climate change? What are future perspectives regarding climate change? Investigate adaptation strategies of past communities to climate change. Gain insight in understanding of human’s resilience and perception of past climate. 3. What is the Anthropocene and when does it start? Explore the Anthropocene concept: adaptation or resilience of past societies to climate change? Analyse major transition phases from archaeological and historical sources in relation to trends of geological proxies. 4. How can we reconstruct climate variations from man’s records retrieved in archaeology, ancient studies and historical geography? Apply combined earth and social science methodologies in climate research. Analyse different spatial and temporal examples in European and Middle-Eastern landscapes.Seminars and lectures, flip the classroom, reading literature, writing a scientific research proposal/creating a poster presentation.Student presentations (40%) of research case, peer review (20%), research proposal (40%)Will be made available on Canvas.Affinity with multidisciplinary research within the realms of Earth Science and Archaeology related to climate change research