Pollution, often seen as a modern challenge, has deep roots in history. Understanding its legacy is the key to creating a cleaner and more sustainable future. This course unveils how historical pollution has been a force of transformation, both in the environment and in the shaping of societies. Students will not only acquire historical knowledge but also uncover the valuable lessons that centuries of pollution hold for us today.
This course will take students to the realms of ancient empires such as Rome and China, the Inca civilization, and the era of modern colonisation, enabling us to uncover the environmental footprints they left behind. As the course delves into these case studies, questions that transcend time will be discussed: How has pollution impacted the rise and fall of civilizations? Were chemicals ever used with sinister intent for social or political gains? What makes one pollutant unacceptable in one era while another is tolerated in a different context? And how do societies balanced their economic pursuits with environmental preservation?
In this course students will engage in basic laboratory analyses, gaining firsthand experience in simple scientific techniques used to uncover traces of pollution from centuries past. Upon completion of this course, students will have built a strong foundation in environmental history, achieved through an engaging exploration that bridges history and science, contributing to the betterment of our environment's future.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Identify specific categories of pollution resulting from historical human activities.
- Analyse the correlation between the historical evolution of societies and the emergence of pollution.
- Recognise the environmental mechanisms that promote the dispersion of pollutants released in the past.
- Summarise basic laboratory analyses in the field of environmental science that facilitate the tracing of historical pollution.
- Analyse the role that past pollution incidents played in shaping the development of environmental policies.
Other Information
As a multidisciplinary course, the instructor will provide a foundational understanding of each discipline. No extensive prior knowledge in any of the disciplines is necessary. A strong desire for learning, curiosity, and motivation are highly encouraged.
Indicative Assessment
- Online quizzes (10 quizzes worth 3% each) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Oral presentation (20 minutes): Present a case study of pollution in the past that led to major environmental damage. (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Oral presentation (20 minutes): Present a case study of pollution that resulted in significant environmental policy change. (20) [LO 1,3,5]
- Final tutorials’ report (word limit 1800 words) (30) [LO 1,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
This course requires a total of 130 hours commitment, which includes:
- 20 hours of synchronous classes, including theoretical and practical classes (intensive week)
- 10 hours of reading and writing reports (before and after the intensive week)
- independent study
The course will consist of a mix of lectures (concepts, theories), discussion of case-studies to be presented by students, and practical exercises that will be given during the lectures.
They will be practical tutorials and students will learn how to track metal pollution using a range of geochemical and palaeoecological proxies (i.e. tree rings, sediment).
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
All materials will be available on wattle prior to the start of the course.
Preliminary Reading
· Schneider, L., Shulmeister, N., Mariani, M., Beck, K.K., Fletcher, M.S., Zawadzki, A., Saunders, K.M, Aquino-López, M.A., Haberle, S.G. Colonialism and the environment: The pollution legacy of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest copper mine in the 20th century. The Anthropocene Review 9, no. 1 (2022): 3-23.
· Steffen, W., Grinevald, J., Crutzen, P., & McNeill, J. (2011). The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 369(1938), 842-867.
· The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene, by Lewis, S.L and Maslin, M.A.Pelican (ISBN978-0-241-28008-1, 1st Edition).
Assumed Knowledge
Note: although some chemistry will be explained in the lectures, no major knowledge in chemistry is required for this course. Chemistry will be taught briefly, only to allow an understanding of the metallurgical processes used by ancient cultures.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5580 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6432 | 01 Jul 2025 | 18 Jul 2025 | 18 Jul 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | In Person | N/A |