INTEGRATING GEOSCIENCE AND HUMANITIES DURING AN UNDERGRADUATE TRAVEL COURSE IN WESTERN TURKEY

A three-week travel course through western Turkey integrates geoscience with philosophy and religious studies in a multidisciplinary learning experience. The course is co-taught by faculty in Philosophy and Geology and is suitable for science and non-science majors. As part of the Allegheny College Experiential Learning program, approximately 20 students travel through Turkey on a chartered bus with a Turkish-speaking guide. The course begins in Istanbul, where the effects of earthquakes along the Northern Anatolian strike-slip fault on ancient and modern architecture and building practices is examined. Travel to the Aegean region and the ancient cities of Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus, Priene, and Miletus, extends this study of modern and ancient seismic hazards with active normal fault systems in western Turkey and adds fluvial-deltaic processes which influenced the locations and migrations of ancient cities. These topics are introduced in the broader context of Archaic and Hellenistic Greek culture, philosophy, and literature. In addition, discussion of philosophy of science takes place at Miletus, where early philosophical ideas developed into a scientific method. Travel continues to the Mediterranean region where students learn about coastal ecosystems (e.g., the Dalyan estuary behind Iztuzu beach). The final area of travel is the Cappadocia region where late Miocene and younger volcanic rocks shape the landscape and influenced the locations of early Christian underground cities. Here students study world-class outcrops of pyroclastic deposits.

The course is in seminar format with few formal lectures. Students are evaluated on the quality of guided journal entries, a short photo essay, a team presentation, a final research paper, and overall participation (meaningful discussions, responsible behavior). Presentations and research papers are open to a wide range of issues in contemporary Turkey, including geoscience topics such as seismic hazards, mineral resources, volcanic processes, water resources, coastal systems, and the related societal and economic impacts of these topics. Western Turkey is an excellent setting for linking geoscience to modern and ancient societies while providing opportunities for students to experience ancient and diverse ideas, cultures, and religious expressions.