Led by Dr. Colleen Delaney in the summer 2014 this course placed the coastal experience
in a broad temporal perspective, envisioning the seacoast as a dynamic interface between
the marine and terrestrial environments
that have provided humans access to a variety of opportunities related to: resource
exploitation, transportation, colonization, cultural interaction, trade, conflict,
and inspiration. Coastal northern Germany is the perfect case study to examine these
issues, and during the trip we explored issues of human interaction with, and use
of, marine resources from the time of the Vikings up to the present day. During the
trip students visited several museums, toured medieval L眉beck, visited several archaeological
sites, took a walking tour of the Medieval ports of Hamburg and Altona, and spoke
with marine resources specialists at the Th眉nen Institute. At the end of the course,
students examined the
contemporary pressing problems related to these topics, and applied their knowledge
of anthropology to recommend ways of resolving them. Students also gained an understanding
and appreciation of a foreign country. Although Germany is a 鈥渨estern鈥 nation, the
history of people of the region, as well as the natural resources available, has greatly
influenced its development and sociopolitical trajectory.



