Jun.-Prof. Dr. Tina Asmussen
What does the Anthropocene mean to you?
For me, the Anthropocene is not merely a geological marker but a powerful interdisciplinary research perspective through which I examine the interconnected and mutually constitutive relationships between humans and the ecological systems they inhabit and transform. Rather than accepting the dominant narrative of the Anthropocene as a phenomenon beginning with mid-20th century nuclear testing, the Great Acceleration of fossil fuel consumption, and industrial chemical proliferation, I find it more productive to understand it as revealing long-term patterns of human-induced environmental change. My research on pre-industrial mining has convinced me we need to broaden the temporal scope of the Anthropocene. When investigating medieval and early modern mining impacts on soil contamination or transformed hydrological systems in regions like the Harz Mountains or Upper Rhine, I see clear evidence that human geological agency extends far beyond the industrialized era. In many studies, the Anthropocene is presented as a qualitative leap caused by quantitative increases in human impact, measured through data comparing pre-industrial to modern values. Despite evidence supporting this view, it risks returning to scientism. As a historian I approach human geological agency not just as an effect of mechanistic factors, but as an interaction of practices, belief-systems and worldviews.
How does the Anthropocene play a role in your work?
The Anthropocene has become central to my research methodology and framing. It's pushed me to develop an approach questions the artificial divisions between pre-modern and modern knowledge systems, practices, and worldviews. When I study mining landscapes like the Upper Rhine region, I'm investigating what I've come to think of as an "Extractocene" – a long history of extraction that has materially transformed both environments and human bodies in ways that persist today, such as the toxic legacy of medieval mining extending along the Wiese River to Basel. What I find particularly compelling is how early modern European societies operated within what I call a "cosmic ecology." This framework, grounded in Galenic and Hippocratic traditions, alchemy, and astrology, functioned as a complex earth system theory of its time. It connected the human body (microcosm) with the cosmos (macrocosm) through theories of the four elements and humors. Mining practices and environmental impacts were understood within this integrated framework where planetary influences, material qualities, and bodily health were inseparably connected. My historical work contributes to current Anthropocene research by challenging its often compartmentalized approach. While modern scientific disciplines separate geology from medicine, or technology from theology, historical perspectives reveal how these domains were once approached as interconnected aspects of a unified knowledge system. This insight helps us recognize the limitations of purely techno-scientific solutions to environmental crises and encourages more integrative approaches that consider cultural meanings, ethical dimensions, and diverse knowledge systems alongside quantitative measurements of human impact.
What project(s) are you working on during your fellowship at the Forum Basiliense?
During my fellowship, I'm developing my "Toxic Heritage" project, which examines former mining landscapes in the Harz Mountains, the Vosges, and the Black Forest as sites where nature and culture have been inseparably entangled for centuries. My project focuses on toxic residues as central to mining history. While mining historiography has emphasized technological innovation and economic developments, I investigate how toxic byproducts created a "demanding legacy" shaping human-nature interactions across centuries. The Bässlergut prison site in Basel exemplifies this – in 2017, excavation material had to be treated as hazardous waste due to medieval mining contamination. My approach integrates five dimensions: landscape transformation; changing land use patterns; contaminants as active agents; historical perceptions of mining; and medical/alchemical conceptions of metals. By connecting these material and cultural dimensions, I aim to develop a nuanced understanding of how past societies perceived and managed environmental impact – insights that might help us reflect critically on our own relationship with the earth today.