GEOMEETINGS: Guest Lecture by Dr. Alexander JD Westra, Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University, China (29/05, STM)
INVITATION TO LECTURE
As part of the “GeoMeetings” series,
the KERAMOS Research Group of the Department of Geology,
in collaboration with the Science and Technology Museum,
is honored to host Dr. Alexander JD Westra,
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University (China),
who will deliver a lecture on the topic:
"From the Aegean to the Yellow River: Lessons in Climate Resilience"
The lecture will take place on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 13:00,
in the Auditorium of the Science and Technology Museum, University of Patras.
The event is open to the public.
Lecture Abstract:
The presentation explores how two major Bronze Age civilizations—the Mycenaean world of Greece and the Shang Dynasty of China—responded to environmental crises and social upheaval. Through a comparative analysis of archaeological remains, epigraphic sources, and paleoclimatic data, the lecture highlights cultural strategies of resilience and reorganization following the collapse of palace systems. This approach reveals how narratives surrounding the environment and power transformed during times of crisis, and how these historical experiences can inform modern approaches to ecological and social reconstruction.
Speaker Bio:
Alexander JD Westra is a postdoctoral researcher at the Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development at Henan University (China), and founder of the university’s Center for Hellenic Studies. He holds a PhD in comparative archaeology (Mycenaeans and Shang), a BA from the University of Edinburgh, and an MA from SOAS, London. His research focuses on the interplay of environment, culture, and power in antiquity, with a comparative perspective across eastern and western Eurasia.
