Human Impact on Ancient Environments

by Charles L. Redman

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. Charles Redman 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—Redman 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 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, Redman's volume shows them to be active participants in complex and evolving ecological relationships. Human Impact on Ancient Environments 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.

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction, Ecology, Environment, Archaeology, Textbooks

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Human's impacts on environment have been on a global scale longer than most people realize with just fire, hunting, agriculture, and animal husbandry. The industrial revolution simply changed the pace. Managing environmental-caused risks in agricultural economies led to the rise state-level society, and when state-level managers failed to manage these risks, so did their states. The book could use more case studies and measurement on energy usage. For example, I read somewhere else that American colonial family used as much power in a week, as I did toasted my bagel this morning.

[Jonathan]

Well the good news is that we've always had an impact on the environment. The bad news is we've rarely learned any lessons from this.

[Riversue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good clear writing with excellent examples from around the world, this exploration of human impacts on the environment should be read.

[Michele]

I can't remember much, but I didn't like it so I am going to read it again.

[Valentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takeaway: don’t live on a small island