Chapter ID: CBB001422313

Defining and Detecting Deforestation in the Ancient Mediterranean, 800BC to 600CE (2013)

unapi

This chapter attempts to clarify the problem describing the destructive forces that were at work in the period from the rise of the Greek polis to the first phase of the Muslim conquests. It describes the evidence for possible shortages of fuel-wood and construction wood, and makes comments on the markets in each of these classes of commodity. The chapter briefly reviews the most pertinent evidence provided by pollen analyses and by alluvial sedimentation. It evaluates a recent discussion based on demography. The chapter demonstrates that the reason why the effects of heavy demand for wood were not more severe was probably active woodland management combined with an effective system of distribution. It considers the likely effects of known climate changes. The substantive problem of deforestation arises here from the fact that the Greeks, Romans and other peoples of the Mediterranean certainly used and destroyed great quantities of trees.

...More
Included in
Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001422313/

Similar Citations

Chapter Wilson, Andrew; (2013)
The Mediterranean Environment in Ancient History: Perspectives and Prospects (/isis/citation/CBB001422317/)

Article Hughes, J. Donald; (2011)
Ancient Deforestation Revisited (/isis/citation/CBB001034563/)

Book Auricchio, Laura; Cook, Elizabeth Heckendorn; Pacini, Giulia; (2012)
Invaluable Trees: Cultures of Nature, 1660--1830 (/isis/citation/CBB001420322/)

Article Sigurmundsson, Friðρór S.; Gísladóttir, Guðrún; Óskarsson, Hreinn; (2014)
Decline of Birch Woodland Cover in Þjórsárdalur Iceland from 1587 to 1938 (/isis/citation/CBB001421932/)

Chapter Sandra Donnici; Rossana Serandrei Barbero; (2022)
The telling of Venice Lagoon sediments (/isis/citation/CBB352258337/)

Book Squatriti, Paolo; (2013)
Landscape and Change in Early Medieval Italy: Chestnuts, Economy, and Culture (/isis/citation/CBB001420355/)

Book Tal, Alon; (2013)
All the Trees of the Forest: Israel's Woodlands from the Bible to the Present (/isis/citation/CBB001420351/)

Chapter Malanima, Paolo; (2013)
Energy Consumption and the Energy Crisis in the Roman World (/isis/citation/CBB001422308/)

Chapter Sébastien Moureau; (2014)
Note on a Passage of the Arabic Translation of Ptolemy’s Planetary Hypotheses (/isis/citation/CBB418039421/)

Chapter Harris, William V.; (2013)
What Kind of Environmental History for Antiquity? (/isis/citation/CBB001422307/)

Book Buraselis, Kostas; Stefanou, Mary; Thompson, Dorothy J.; (2013)
The Ptolemies, the Sea and the Nile: Studies in Waterborne Power (/isis/citation/CBB001422623/)

Article Masseti, Marco; (2008)
The Most Ancient Explorations of the Mediterranean (/isis/citation/CBB001036094/)

Chapter Silvia Fazzo; (2012)
Nicolas le Péripatéticien, dit le Damascène: notes pour une étude (/isis/citation/CBB502087285/)

Article Catamo, Mario; Lanciano, Nicoletta; Locher, Kurt; Lombardero, Manuel; Valdés, Manuel; (2000)
Fifteen Further Greco-Roman Sundials from the Mediterranean Area and Sudan (/isis/citation/CBB000671365/)

Chapter Marcotte, Didier; (2010)
Straton et l'histoire naturelle de la Méditerranée (/isis/citation/CBB001023315/)

Book Olson, Richard; (2010)
Technology and Science in Ancient Civilizations (/isis/citation/CBB001033559/)

Book Harris, William V.; (2013)
The Ancient Mediterranean Environment between Science and History (/isis/citation/CBB001422304/)

Chapter Veal, Robyn; (2013)
Fuelling Ancient Mediterranean Cities: A Framework for Charcoal Research (/isis/citation/CBB001422309/)

Authors & Contributors
Harris, William V.
Sandra Donnici
Rossana Serandrei Barbero
Thompson, Dorothy J.
Stefanou, Mary
Buraselis, Kostas
Concepts
Environmental history
Forests and forestry
Trees
Deforestation
Arab/Islamic world, civilization and culture
Climate change
Time Periods
Ancient
Medieval
19th century
18th century
17th century
Early modern
Places
Mediterranean region
Greece
Rome (Italy)
Europe
Italy
Adriatic sea
Comments

Be the first to comment!

{{ comment.created_by.username }} on {{ comment.created_on | date:'medium' }}

Log in or register to comment