| Main Title |
Human impact on ancient environments / |
| Author |
Redman, Charles L.
|
| Publisher |
University of Arizona Press, |
| Year Published |
1999 |
| OCLC Number |
40964666 |
| ISBN |
0816519625; 9780816519620; 0816519633; 9780816519637 |
| Subjects |
Nature--Effect of human beings on--History ;
Human ecology--History ;
Paleoecology ;
Environmental archaeology ;
Environmental degradation--History ;
Extinction (Biology)--History ;
Environment--history ;
Mensch ;
Umweltver anderung ;
Vor- und Fr uhgeschichte ;
Paleo-ecologie ;
Menselijke invloed ;
Prehistoric peoples ;
Human influence on nature--History
|
| Holdings |
| Library |
Call Number |
Additional Info |
Location |
Last
Modified |
Checkout
Status |
| EHBM |
GF75.R42 1999 |
|
CEMM/ACESD Library/Narragansett,RI |
09/10/2024 |
|
| Collation |
xiv, 239 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm |
| Notes |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-234) and index. |
| Contents Notes |
Lessons from a prehistoric "Eden" -- Attitudes toward the environment -- Concepts that organize our thoughts -- Animal exploitation: the prehistoric loss of habitat and biodiversity -- The impact of agrarian systems -- The growth of world urbanism -- Forces that grew with society -- The past as prologue. Threats to biodiversity, food shortages, urban sprawl, lessons for environmental problems that confront us today may well be found in the past. The archaeological record contains hundreds of situations in which societies developed long-term sustainable relationships with their environments, and thousands in which the relationships were destructive. The author demonstrates that much can be learned from an improved understanding of peoples who, through seemingly rational decisions, degraded their environments and threatened their own survival. By discussing archaeological case studies from around the world, from the deforestation of the Mayan lowlands to soil erosion in ancient Greece to the almost total depletion of resources on Easter Island, he reveals the long range coevolution of culture and environment and clearly shows the impact that ancient peoples had on their world. These case studies focus on four themes: habitat transformation and animal extinctions, agricultural practices, urban growth, and the forces that accompany complex society. They show that humankind's commitment to agriculture has had cultural consequences that have conditioned our perception of the environment and reveal that societies before European contact did not necessarily live the utopian existences that have been popularly supposed. Whereas most books on this topic tend to treat human societies as mere reactors to environmental stimuli, this volume shows them to be active participants in complex and evolving ecological relationships. This book demonstrates how archaeological research can provide unique insights into the nature of human stewardship of the Earth and can permanently alter the way we think about humans and the environment. |
| Place Published |
Tucson |
| PUB Date Free Form |
1999 |
| BIB Level |
m |
| Medium |
unmediated |
| Content |
text |
| Carrier |
volume |
| Cataloging Source |
OCLC/T |
| LCCN |
99006237 |
| Merged OCLC records |
1022603995; 1166483494; 1166528512; 1170107117 |
| OCLC Time Stamp |
20240905213019 |
| Language |
eng |
| SUDOCS Number |
UA 5.2:H 853 |
| Origin |
OCLC |
| Type |
CAT |
| OCLC Rec Leader |
05839cam 22009494a 45010 |
