The Ancient Mediterranean Environment Between Science and History
W. V. Harris. (2013). Leiden & Boston: Brill.
The aim of this book is to look at how the study of environmental history can develop understanding of the ancient world (largely the Roman world), bringing together a range of scientific and textual evidence. Part One – “Frameworks” – looks at how the Roman Empire was fuelled, with studies of energy production and consumption (Chapter 1) and using charcoal to determine what fuels were used and how (Chapter 2). In Part Two the focus shifts to the climate, with a study of Roman environmental history that blends textual evidence from Ausonius (c. 310 – c. 395) with evidence from tree rings (Chapter 3), the role of droughts in the invasions of the Huns and Avars in Late Antiquity (Chapter 4), and the main types of natural event (e.g. volcanic eruptions) that the Roman Empire experienced (Chapter 5). Part Three is comprised of a study of ancient deforestation from the rise of the Greek polis to declining populations in the 8th Century CE (Chapter 6). Part Four – “Area Reports” – includes three area specific studies of the environmental history in Southern Jordan (Chapter 7), Naples (Chapter 8), and water management in Central-Southern Italy (Chapter 9).