Dr Gül Sürmelihindi

Research Interests

As a trained geologist, my main interest is in natural history and the extent to which nature affected the social life of our ancestors. Since 2009, I have worked on carbonate deposits from ancient aqueducts to reconstruct palaeo-environmental changes and adaptation attempts to socio-economic changes during antiquity. My particular interest is in the Roman period because it is the time when aqueduct building peaked throughout the Mediterranean realm. I use conventional geochemistry methods such as stable isotopes, trace elements and microstructural investigations to reconstruct natural processes and adaptations to socio-economic changes.

Since 2015, I have also been involved in archaeological collaborations to reconstruct and understand ancient water technologies such as water-lifting machines (Pompeii) and watermills (Barbegal). The carbonate incrustations formed in these mechanisms reveil their variable efficiency, utility, and aspects of maintenance. This interdisciplinary work is of particular interest to history of science research.

Geographic areas:

Southern and central France (Cahors, Nîmes, Arles, Barbegal, Fréjus, Antibes, Vaison-la-Romaine etc.), Eastern Mediterranean: Jerash, Constantinople, Argos, Sikyon, Patras, Naxos, Aspendos, Patara, Spain: Cordoba, Medinat-az-Zahara, Cadiz etc., and Italy: Pompeii, Syracuse, Trento