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How Much Is Enough? First Steps to a Social Ecology of the Pergamon Microregion

Author

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  • Julian Laabs

    (Institute of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Johanna-Mestorf-Str. 2-6, 24118 Kiel, Germany)

  • Daniel Knitter

    (Department of Geography, Physical Geography, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Ludewig-Meyn-Str. 14, 24118 Kiel, Germany)

Abstract

In this study, we present a transparent and reproducible approach to model agricultural production with respect to environmental characteristics and available labour. Our research focuses on the city of Pergamon and its surroundings, with an emphasis on the transition between the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial Period, where widespread demographic changes took place. We investigated the degree of local self-sufficiency using different concepts of a city’s complementary region. Using simple topographic derivatives, we derive a measure of environmental suitability that we translate into a carrying capacity index. Our results show that workforce was not a limiting factor for local self-sufficiency. However, environmental carrying capacity may have been limiting in a scenario with a large population. An active investment into the environment, e.g., by the construction of terraces, could have helped to increase the degree of self-sufficiency. Future research should investigate the level of resilience of such a coupled socio-ecological system in relation to environmental and socio-cultural dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Julian Laabs & Daniel Knitter, 2021. "How Much Is Enough? First Steps to a Social Ecology of the Pergamon Microregion," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:5:p:479-:d:548246
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bernhard Ludwig, 2020. "Reconstructing the Ancient Route Network in Pergamon’s Surroundings," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-38, July.
    2. Scheidel,Walter & Morris,Ian & Saller,Richard P. (ed.), 2007. "The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521780537.
    3. Fabian Becker & Daniel Knitter & Moritz Nykamp & Brigitta Schütt, 2020. "Meta-Analysis of Geomorphodynamics in the Western Lower Bakırçay Plain (Aegean Region, Turkey)," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-29, September.
    4. Ryan E. Hughes & Erika Weiberg & Anton Bonnier & Martin Finné & Jed O. Kaplan, 2018. "Quantifying Land Use in Past Societies from Cultural Practice and Archaeological Data," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-21, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gerrit Günther & Thomas Clemen & Rainer Duttmann & Brigitta Schütt & Daniel Knitter, 2021. "Of Animal Husbandry and Food Production—A First Step towards a Modular Agent-Based Modelling Platform for Socio-Ecological Dynamics," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, December.
    2. Xun Yang & Fabian Becker & Daniel Knitter & Brigitta Schütt, 2021. "An Overview of the Geomorphological Characteristics of the Pergamon Micro-Region (Bakırçay and Madra River Catchments, Aegean Region, West Turkey)," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-27, June.

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