Charles L. Redman. 1999. Human Impacts on Ancient Environments. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. 219 pages, plus 17 pages of references and an index.
I looked forward to reading this book the instant I saw it advertised. Charles L. Redman works at the Center for Environmental Studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, and he has had a long distinguished career studying archaeology and the environment. Furthermore, I've always believed that the we of the present can learn to cope with our problems by studying the past; and that environmental disasters is something we as a species have had lots of experience of. I was certainly not disappointed.
This book makes an interesting contrast to Brian Fagan's El Niño and the Fate of Civilizations, which discusses the archaeological evidence that humans have always had to deal with global climatic weather problems like El Niño and La Niña, and that catastrophic natural disasters have affected us always. What Redman's book does is put the human actor at the forefront, detailing the impacts that human actions have had on the environment in the past 10,000 years, at least. It is a most enlightening twist of idea. One of Redman's most intriguing ideas is that there is not now and there hasn't been a "pristine environment" (i.e., unaffected by humans) for at least 10,000 years and maybe longer.
This book makes an interesting contrast to Brian Fagan's El Niño and the Fate of Civilizations, which discusses the archaeological evidence that humans have always had to deal with global climatic weather problems like El Niño and La Niña, and that catastrophic natural disasters have affected us always. What Redman's book does is put the human actor at the forefront, detailing the impacts that human actions have had on the environment in the past 10,000 years, at least. It is a most enlightening twist of idea. One of Redman's most intriguing ideas is that there is not now and there hasn't been a "pristine environment" (i.e., unaffected by humans) for at least 10,000 years and maybe longer.
The first three chapters of Human Impact on Ancient Environments are devoted to explaining the ideas that pervade human cultures about the environment. A cross-cultural and cross-temporal survey of common and disparate attitudes about the human-environment interaction is provided, as well as a survey of contemporary attitudes. Is nature a force to be conquered? A treasure to be protected? A resource provided by god for humans to use? An eden we've been thrown out of?
The major portion of the book is roughly organized by mode of living. A chapter each is devoted to the effects of pastoralism and agrarian systems, and two chapters to global urbanization. Several concrete examples are used to explain the ramfiications of human food production on our environment.
The final chapter, "The Past is Prologue," revisits the notion of how humans envision their environments--and Redman argues persuasively that no matter how we envision it, we are part of the environment, and always have been.
This is a thoroughly interesting book, and a must for anyone concerned about the condition of the world's environment, and interested in what the past can teach us.
The major portion of the book is roughly organized by mode of living. A chapter each is devoted to the effects of pastoralism and agrarian systems, and two chapters to global urbanization. Several concrete examples are used to explain the ramfiications of human food production on our environment.
The final chapter, "The Past is Prologue," revisits the notion of how humans envision their environments--and Redman argues persuasively that no matter how we envision it, we are part of the environment, and always have been.
This is a thoroughly interesting book, and a must for anyone concerned about the condition of the world's environment, and interested in what the past can teach us.
