The Relationship Between Man and Landscape in the Troad During the Ottoman Period

Abstract

1Wo diseases-the plague and malaria-have had a large impact on the role between man and the landscape in the Troad. Since the eighteenth century, European travellers have repeatedly mentioned these two afflictions. However, recently, scholars have often overlooked or ignored the historical impact of these diseases. If one examines the evidence for the plague in the Troad, the sudden abandonment of so many towns becomes clear. The acute threat of malaria, in particular, around the swamp areas explains the function of the canals, some of which date back to early times.