In the reading seminar on January 24, participants engaged in a discussion of selected chapters from Ruth Mostern’s recent book on the history of the Yellow River. The group covered topics of environmental changes, political transformations, regional conflicts, and water engineering of the region, as well as the digital methodologies and tools used in the research for long-term pattern analysis and database building.

The topic and reading materials were suggested by Wangzhi Xi, and the meeting was moderated by Dr. Sunkyu Lee.

 Required readings:

  • MOSTERN, R., & HORNE, R. M. (2021). Levies and Levees: The Engineered River, 1351–1855. In The Yellow River: A Natural and Unnatural History (pp. 179–238). Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1vbd1d8.10
  • MOSTERN, R., & HORNE, R. M. (2021). APPENDIX: Tracking Yu: Developing a Data System for Yellow River History. In The Yellow River: A Natural and Unnatural History (pp. 247–266). Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1vbd1d8.12

Optional readings:

  • MOSTERN, R., & HORNE, R. M. (2021). Loess Is More: The Middle Period Tipping Point, 750–1350 CE. In The Yellow River: A Natural and Unnatural History (pp. 121–178). Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1vbd1d8.8