Dirt the erosion of civilizations : with a new preface
Dirt, soil, call it what you want--it is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. In this natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern environmental calamities, earth scientist Montgomery explores the idea that we are--and have l...
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| Format: | UnknownFormat |
| Sprache: | eng |
| Veröffentlicht: |
Berkeley ; Los Angeles ; London
University of California Press
2012
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| Ausgabe: | First paperback edition 2008 |
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online Zugang: | Inhaltsverzeichnis |
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Tag hinzufügen | Zusammenfassung: | Dirt, soil, call it what you want--it is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. In this natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern environmental calamities, earth scientist Montgomery explores the idea that we are--and have long been--using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over time to limit the lifespan of civilizations. Montgomery traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, Native American civilizations, European colonialism, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped history--as society after society has risen, prospered, and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt, leaving a legacy of impoverished lands.--From publisher description. |
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| Beschreibung: | LIteraturverzeichnis Seite 251-270. - Index |
| Beschreibung: | XV, 285 Seiten Illustrationen, Karten 23 cm |
| ISBN: | 9780520272903 978-0-520-27290-3 |