Prof. Dr. Christoph Zielhofer, coordinator (1st phase), Leipzig University
Research foci
I am fluvial geomorphologist, paleosol scientist and geoarchaeologist with a strong focus on the reconstruction of Holocene floodplain dynamics (Zielhofer and Faust 2008, Zielhofer et al. 2010, Kirchner et al. 2018). I am familiar with the concepts of fragile landscapes (Fletcher and Zielhofer 2013), Holocene Rapid Climate Changes (Bini et al. 2019, Zielhofer et al. 2019), with conducting geochemical approaches using elements as sediment provenance proxies (Zielhofer et al. 2017) and with geophysical prospection techniques in fluvial geoarchaeology (Hausmann et al. 2018, Kirchner et al. 2018). During the last decade and in cooperation with Lukas Werther, I have been principal investigator of geoarchaeological research projects (Zielhofer et al. 2014, Schmidt et al. 2020) with a particular spatial focus on floodplains and wetlands in Central Europe (Weiße Elster, Lech, Altmühl) (ZI 721/10-2, 12-1, 13-1).
(10) Schmidt, J., Werther, L., Rabiger-Völlmer, J., Herzig, F., Schneider, B., Werban, U., Dietrich, P., Berg, S., Linzen, S., Ettel, P., Zielhofer, C., 2020. Sediment budgeting of short-term backfilling processes - the erosional collapse of a Carolingian canal construction. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, doi: 10.1002/esp.4978
(9) Zielhofer, C., Köhler, A., Mischke, S., Benkaddour, A., Mikdad, A., Fletcher, W.J., 2019. Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic consequences of Holocene ice-rafted debris (Bond) events. Climate of the Past 15, 463-475.
(8) Bini, M., Zanchetta, G., Perșoiu, A., Cartier, R., Català, A., Cacho, I., Dean, J.R., Di Rita, F., Drysdale, R.N., Finnè, M., Isola, I., Jalali, B., Lirer, F., Magri, D., Masi, A., Marks, L., Mercuri, A.M., Peyron, O., Sadori, L., Sicre, M.A., Welc, F., Zielhofer, C., Brisset, E., 2019. The 4.2 ka BP Event in the Mediterranean Region: an overview. Climate of the Past 15, 555-577.
(7) Kirchner, A., Zielhofer, C., Werther, L., Schneider, M., Linzen, S., Wilken, D., Wunderlich, T., Rabbel, W., Meyer, C., Schneider, B., Berg-Hobohm, S., Ettel, P., 2018. A multidisciplinary approach in wetland (geo)archaeology: survey of the missing southern canal connection of the Fossa Carolina (SW Germany). Quaternary International 473, 3-20.
(6) Hausmann, J., Zielhofer, C., Berg-Hobohm, S., Dietrich, P., Heymann, R., Werban, U., Werther, L., 2018. Direct push sensing in wetland (geo)archaeology: High-resolution reconstruction of buried canal structures (Fossa Carolina, Germany). Quaternary International 473, 21-36.
(5) Zielhofer, C., von Suchodoletz, H., Fletcher, W.J., Schneider, B., Dietze, E., Schlegel, M., Schepanski, K., Weninger, B., Mischke, S., Mikdad, A., 2017. Millennial-scale fluctuations in Saharan dust supply across the decline of the African Humid Period. Quaternary Science Reviews 171, 119-135.
(4) Zielhofer, C., Leitholdt, E., Werther, L., Stele, A., Bussmann, J., Linzen, S., Schneider, M., Meyer, C., Berg-Hobohm, S., Ettel, P., 2014. Charlemagne’s Summit Canal: An Early Medieval Hydro-Engineering Project for Passing the Central European Watershed. PLOS ONE 9(9): e108194.
(3) Fletcher, W., Zielhofer, C., 2013: Fragility of Western Mediterranean landscapes during Holocene Rapid Climate Changes. Catena 103, 16-29.
(2) Zielhofer, C., Bussmann, J., Ibouhouten, H., Fenech, K., 2010. Flood frequencies reveal Holocene Rapid Climate Changes (Lower Moulouya River, NE Morocco). Journal of Quaternary Science 25, 700-714.
(1) Zielhofer, C., Faust, D. 2008. Mid- and Late Holocene fluvial chronology of Tunisia. Quaternary Science Reviews 27, 580-588.
Prof. Dr. Natascha Mehler, Committee member, Tübingen University
Research foci
I am a medieval and post-medieval (historical) archaeologist and work in the fields of maritime archaeology (Brandl et al. 2018, Mehler et al. 2019), landscape archaeology (Preston et al. 2019, Semple et al. 2020), and material culture studies (Mehler 2009, Mehler 2010). I am putting much effort into advancing historical archaeology in Central Europe (Mehler 2013, Arndt et al. 2017, Brooks & Mehler 2017, Mehler 2020) which is still relatively underdeveloped in Germany. In this context, I was recently presented the John L. Cotter Award in Historical Archaeology (U.S.A.) as the first European ever.
(10) Mehler, N., 2020. Historical Archaeology in Europe. In Orser, C.E., Funari, P.P.A., Lawrence, S., Symonds, J., Zarankin, A. (Eds), The Routledge Handbook of Historical Archaeology, New York, pp. 780-797.
(9) Semple, S., Sanmark, A., Iversen, F., Mehler, N., 2020. Negotiating the North. Meeting Places in the Middle Ages. Society for Medieval Archaeology Monographs 41, London.
(8) Mehler, N., Gardiner, M., Elvestad, E. (Eds), 2019. German trade in the North Atlantic (c. 1400-1700). Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Arkeologisk Museum Stavanger Skrifter 27, Stavanger. (open access)
(7) Preston, J., Sanderson, D., Kinnaird, T., Newton, A., Nitter, M., Coolen, J., Mehler, N., Dugmore, A., 2019. Dynamic beach response to changing storminess of Unst, Shetland: impacts on landing places exploited by Norse communities. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 15/2, 2020, 153-178.
(6) Brandl, M., Martinez, M.M., Hauzenberger, C., Filzmoser, P., Nymoen, P., Mehler, N., 2018. A multi-technique analytical approach to sourcing Scandinavian flint: Provenance of ballast flint from the shipwreck "Leirvigen 1", Norway. PLOS ONE 13: e0200647.
(5) Arndt, B., Halle, U., Ickerodt, U., Jungklaus, B., Mehler, N., Müller, U., Nawroth, M., Peine, H.W., Theune, C., Wemhoff, M., 2017. Leitlinien zu einer Archäologie der Moderne. Blickpunkt Archäologie 4/2017, 236-246.
(4) Brooks, A., Mehler, N. (Eds), 2017. The country where my heart is. Historical archaeologies of nationalism and national identity, Gainsville.
(3) Mehler, N. (Ed.), 2013. Historical Archaeology in Central Europe. Society of Historical Archaeology Special Publications 10, Rockville.
(2) Mehler, N., 2010. Tonpfeifen in Bayern (ca. 1600-1745). Zeitschrift für Archäologie des Mittelalters, Beiheft 22, Bonn.
(1) Mehler, N., 2009. The perception and identification of hanseatic material culture in the North Atlantic: problems and suggestions. Journal of the North Atlantic, Special Volume 1, 89-108.
Prof. Dr. Gerrit Jasper Schenk, Committee member, TU Darmstadt
Research foci
I am professor of Medieval History at Technische Universität Darmstadt. My research is on environmental and climate history with a special focus on historical disaster research (Bauch and Schenk 2020, Schenk 2020c, Labbé and Schenk 2018) and the history of infrastructure, mainly of waterways (Schenk 2020a, Schenk 2019, Schenk 2018). The spatial focus is on Central Europe and Italy, the temporal focus on the late Middle Ages and Early Modern times. I contribute an expertise in discourse analysis of different actor groups on the interdependencies between politics, society and nature (Schenk 2012, 2016). I have interests in comparative history (Schenk 2017), digital humanities (Schenk 2020b) and exhibitions.
Selected Publications
(10) Bauch, M., Schenk, G.J. (Eds), 2020. Teleconnections, Correlations, Causalities between Nature and Society? An Introductory Comment on the “Crisis of the 14th Century”, In Bauch, M., Schenk, G. (Eds.), The Crisis of the 14th Century: Teleconnections between Environmental and Societal Change? Das Mittelalter. Beihefte 13, Berlin, Boston, pp. 1-22
(9) Schenk, G.J. 2020a: Das Baby in der Wiege. Hochwasser zwischen Alltag und Katastrophe (ca. 1250-1550). Beobachtungen zur ‚fluvialen Anthroposphäre‘ im Kraichgau. In Andermann, K., Schenk, G.J. (Eds.), Wasser. Ressource – Gefahr – Leben, Kraichtaler Kolloquien 12, Ostfildern, 79-113.
(8) Schenk, G.J. 2020b. Digital Humanities in der Geschichtswissenschaft. „Schnittstelle“ zwischen Archiv, Bibliothek, Museum und Universität. In Pons, R., Sattler, D.A.E. (Hg.), Geschichtswissenschaft und Archive Archivnachrichten aus Hessen. Sonderheft 2020, Wiesbaden, 64-71.
(7) Schenk, G.J. 2020c. More resilient with Mars or Mary? Constructing a Myth and Reclaiming Public Space after the Destruction of the Old Bridge of Florence 1333, In Endreß, M., Clemens, L., Rampp, B. (Eds.), Strategies, Dispositions and Resources of Social Resilience. A Dialogue between Medieval Studies and Sociology, Wiesbaden: pp. 139-162.
(6) Schenk, G.J. 2019. ,Knoten‘ in ,Netzen‘? Überlegungen zur Hafenstadt als ,kritische Infrastruktur‘. In Ettel, P. , Hack, A.Th. (Eds.), Flusstäler, Flussschifffahrt, Flusshäfen: Befunde aus Antike und Mittelalter. Internationale Tagung im Rahmen des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 1630 „Häfen von der Römischen Kaiserzeit bis zum Mittelalter“ an der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 21.-24. Februar 2018, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Tagungen, 39. Interdisziplinäre Forschungen zu den Häfen von der Römischen Kaiserzeit bis zum Mittelalter in Europa 7, Mainz, pp. 207-236.
(5) Labbé, T., Schenk, G.J., 2018. Introduction. Une histoire de la perception des victimes de catastrophe. In Labbé, T., Schenk, G.J. (Eds.), Une histoire du sensible. La perception des victimes de catastrophe du XIIe au XVIIIe siècle. Culture et société médiévales 35, Brepols, pp. 7-30.
(4) Schenk, G.J., 2018. „der straßen halb uff der Yll.“ Wasserwege im Elsass als ‚kritische Infrastruktur‘ für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (1350-1550) . In Andermann, K., Gallion, N. (Eds.), Weg und Steg. Aspekte des Verkehrswesens von der Spätantike bis zum Ende des Alten Reiches, Kraichtaler Kolloquien 11, Ostfildern, pp. 121-152.
(3) Schenk, G.J., 2017. Historical Disaster Experiences. First Steps toward a Comparative and Transcultural History of Disasters across Asia and Europe in the Preindustrial Era. In Schenk, G.J. (Ed.), Historical Disaster Experiences. Towards a Comparative and Transcultural History of Disasters Across Asia and Europe, Cham, pp. 3-44.
(2) Schenk, G.J., 2016. Disastro, Catastrophe, and Divine Judgement: Words, Concepts and Images for ‘Natural’ Threats to Social Order in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. In: Spinks, J., Zika, C. (Eds.), Disaster, Death and the Emotions in the Shadow of the Apocalypse, 1400-1700, Basingstoke, pp. 45-67.
(1) Schenk, G.J., 2012. Managing natural hazards: Environment, society, and politics in Tuscany and the Upper Rhine Valley in the Renaissance (1270-1570). In Janku, A., Schenk, G.J., Mauelshagen, F. (Eds.), Historical Disasters in Context: Science, Religion, and Politics. Routledge Studies in Cultural History 15, New York, London, pp. 31-53.
PD Dr. Lukas Werther, member, Tübingen University
PD Dr. Lukas Werther, Committee member, Tübingen University
Research foci
I am archaeologist specialized in medieval and post-medieval archaeology as well as historical geography (Werther 2015, 2019). I am co-applicant of ongoing multidisciplinary DFG research projects on the Weiße Elster floodplain and the Lech riverine system in Central Germany. As part of previous DFG priority programme 1630, in which I have collaborated with Christoph Zielhofer and Natascha Mehler, I was co-applicant of a project on inland navigation on rivers and lakes in France and Germany (Werther and Kröger 2017). I led the archaeological part of at the Fossa Carolina project (2012-2018) (Werther et al. 2015, 2018, Kirchner et al. 2018) and I am an expert in digital humanities, GIS modelling and dendroarchaeology (Schmidt et al. 2018, 2020, Werther et al. 2018-2020; Werther et al. 2020).
(10) Werther, L., Nelson, J., Herzig, F., Schmidt, J., Berg, S., Ettel, P., Linzen, S., Zielhofer, C., 2020. 792 or 793? Charlemagne’s canal project: craft, nature and memory. Early Medieval Europe 28(3), 444-465. doi: 10.1111/emed.12422
(9) Schmidt, J., Werther, L., Rabiger-Völlmer, J., Herzig, F., Schneider, B., Werban, U., Dietrich, P., Berg, S., Linzen, S., Ettel, P., Zielhofer, C., 2020. Sediment budgeting of short-term backfilling processes - the erosional collapse of a Carolingian canal construction. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, doi: 10.1002/esp.4978
(8) Schmidt, J., Werther, L., Zielhofer, C., 2018. Shaping pre-modern digital terrain models: the former topography at Charlemagne's canal construction site. PLOS ONE 13(7): e0200167, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200167
(7) Kirchner, A., Zielhofer, C., Werther, L., Schneider, M., Linzen, S., Wilken, D., Wunderlich, T., Rabbel, W., Meyer, C., Schneider, B., Berg-Hobohm, S., Ettel, P., 2018. A multidisciplinary approach in wetland (geo)archaeology: survey of the missing southern canal connection of the Fossa Carolina (SW Germany). Quaternary International 473, 3-20.
(6) Werther, L., Kröger, L., Kirchner, A., Zielhofer, C., Leitholdt, E., Schneider, M., Linzen, S., Berg-Hobohm, S., Ettel, P., 2018. Fossata Magna – a canal contribution to harbour construction in the 1st millennium AD. In von Carnap-Bornheim, C., Daim, F., Ettel, P., Warnke U. (Eds.), Harbours as objects of interdisciplinary research – Archaeology + History + Geoscience. Interdisziplinäre Forschungen zu Häfen von der Römischen Kaiserzeit bis zum Mittelalter, RGZM Tagungen 34, pp. 355-372.
(5) Werther, L., Kröger, L., 2017. Medieval Inland Navigation And The Shifting Fluvial Landscape Between Rhine And Danube (Germany). Post Classical Archaeologies 7, 65-96.
(4) Werther, L. 2016. Histoire (s) des vallées: Études comparatives sur le développement des paysages fluviaux alto-médiévaux en Bavière comme lieux d`habitation, d`économie et de communication / Talgeschichte (n): Vergleichende Untersuchungen zur Entwicklung frühmittelalterlicher Flusslandschaften in Bayern als Siedlungs-, Wirtschafts-, und Kommunikationsräume. In Peytremann, E. (Ed.), Des fleuves et des hommes à l´époque mérovingienne. Territoire fluvial et société au premier Moyen Âge (Ve-XIIe siècle). Mémoires de l´Association française d´Archéologie mérovingienne 32, Dijon, pp. 35-48.
(3) Werther, L., 2015. Komplexe Systeme im diachronen Vergleich - Ausgewählte Aspekte der Entwicklung von drei süddeutschen Kleinräumen zwischen Früh- und Hochmittelalter Teil 1-2, Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum 127, Regensburg, 780 p.
(2) Werther, L., Zielhofer, C., Herzig, F., Leitholdt, E., Schneider, M., Linzen, S., Berg-Hobohm, S., Ettel, P., Kirchner, A., Dunkel, S., 2015. Häfen verbinden. Neue Befunde zu Verlauf, wasserbaulichem Konzept und Verlandung des Karlsgrabens. In Schmidts, T., Vučetić, M. (Eds.), Häfen im 1. Millennium A. D. – Bauliche Konzepte, herrschaftliche und religiöse Einflüsse. Interdisziplinäre Forschungen zu Häfen von der Römischen Kaiserzeit bis zum Mittelalter 1, Mainz, pp. 151-185.
(1) Werther, L., Foucher, M., Müller, H. (Eds.), 2018-2020. European Harbour Data Repository. Digital Library Thuringia, www.db-thueringen.de/receive/dbt_mods_00035240 [14.03.2020]