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Dirt [[electronic resource] ] : the erosion of civilizations / / David R. Montgomery



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Autore: Montgomery David R. <1961-> Visualizza persona
Titolo: Dirt [[electronic resource] ] : the erosion of civilizations / / David R. Montgomery Visualizza cluster
Pubblicazione: Berkeley, Calif. ; ; London, : University of California Press, 2012
Edizione: New ed.
Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (305 p.)
Disciplina: 631.4/9
631.49
Soggetto topico: Soil science - History
Soils
Soil erosion
Soggetto non controllato: agrarian society
agricultural
american push westward
ancient greece
anthropologist
anthropology
archaeologists
archaeology
central america
china
colonialism
cultural and historical context
european colonialism
geographer
geography
geologist
geology
history of
importance of dirt
mesopotamia
protective vegetation
roman empire
running out of dirt
Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Nota di contenuto: Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Good Old Dirt -- 2. Skin of the Earth -- 3. Rivers of Life -- 4. Graveyard of Empires -- 5. Let Them Eat Colonies -- 6. Westward Hoe -- 7. Dust Blow -- 8. Dirty Business -- 9. Islands in Time -- 10. Life Span of Civilization -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index
Sommario/riassunto: Dirt, soil, call it what you want-it's everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling 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 centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations. A rich mix of history, archaeology and geology, Dirt traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, European colonialism, Central America, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped us and we have shaped soil-as society after society has risen, prospered, and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt. David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.
Titolo autorizzato: Dirt  Visualizza cluster
ISBN: 1-280-49201-5
9786613587244
0-520-95211-1
9780520258068
Formato: Materiale a stampa
Livello bibliografico Monografia
Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
Record Nr.: 9910790282503321
Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II
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