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Article Evaluation-"Environmental Philosophy"

Phrases like "meant to be" in concern with environmental philosophy do not seem to be neutral. The introduction in not substantial enough to describe the topic. The "Humanist Ecology" section needs citations in relation to ideas about ancient Greek philosophers. The article could use some more historical context. The language does not seem very accessible to the general public. There are no conversations in the talk page.

Article Topics

• Biofacts
• Environmental archaeology

COMMENT: Interesting topic! What are the content gaps within Environmental archaeology that you will work on? What sources do you have to help you do that? Please make sure you answer these before you assign yourself the article. Julianfulton (talk) 04:01, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

Environmental Archaeology--OUTLINE

Subfields

Archaeobotany

Animal remains

Archaeobotany is the study and interpretation of plant remains. By determining the uses of plants in historical contexts, researchers can reconstruct the diets of past humans, as well as determine their subsistence strategies and plant economy. This provides greater insight into a people's social and cultural behaviors. Analysis of specimen like wood charcoal, for example, can reveal the source of fuel or construction for a society. Archaeobotanists also often study seed and fruit remains, along with pollen and starch. Plants can be preserved in a variety of ways, but the most common are carbonization, water logging, mineralization, and desiccation. A field within archaeobotany is ethnobotany, which looks more specifically at the relationship between plants and humans, and the cultural impacts plants have had and continue to have on human societies. Plant usage as food and as crops or as medicine is of interest, as well the plants' economic influences.

Zooarchaeology

Zooarchaeology is the study of animal remains and what these remains can tell us about the human societies the animals existed among. Animal remains can provide evidence of predation by humans (or vice versa) or domestication. Despite revealing the specific relationships between animals and humans, discovery of animal bones, hides, or DNA in a certain area can describe the location's past landscape or climate.

Geoarchaeology

Geoarchaeology is the study of landscape and of geological processes. It looks at environments within the human timeline to determine how past societies may have influenced or been influenced by the environment. Sediment and soil are often studiesd because this is where the majority of artifacts are found, but also because natural processes and human behavior can alter the soil and reveal its history. Apart from visual observation, computer programming and satellite imaging are often employed to reconstruct past landscapes or architecture.

History

In archaeology in the 1960's, the environment was seen as having a "passive" interaction with humans.With the inclusion of Darwinism and ecological principles, however, this paradigm began to shift. Prominent theories and principles of the time (oasis theory, catastrophism, and lounge duree) emphasized this philosophy. Catastrophism, for instance, discussed how catastrophes like natural disaster could be the determining factor in a society's survival. The environment could have social, political, and economic impacts on human communities. It became more important for researchers to look at the direct influence the environment could have on a society. This gave rise to middle range theory and the major questions asked by environmental archaeology in the 20th and 21st centuries. Research has since led environmental archaeology to two major conclusions: humanity originated in Africa and agriculture originated in south-west Asia. Another important shift in thinking within the field centered around the notion of cost-effectivity. Before, archaeologists thought that humans usually acted to maximize their use of resources, but have since come to believe that this is not the case. Subsequent theories/principles include sociality and agency, and the focus on relationships between archaeological sites.

Notable Names in the Field

Louis Leakey contributed to a vast amount a research in this field. Leakey and his wife Mary Leakey are most known for their work in on human origins in africa. Louis Binford developed the Middle Range Theory. Under this theory, researchers study the relationship between humans and the environment, which can be depicted in models. Eric Higgs researched the development of agriculture in Asia and the method of "Site Catchment Analysis", which looks at the exploitation of land based on the land's potential.

Methods

Environmental archaeologists approach a site often through evaluation and/or excavation. Evaluation seeks to analyze the resources and artifacts given in an area and their potential significance. Exacvation take samples from different layers in the ground and use a similar strategy to evaluation. The samples typically sought after are human and faunal remains, pollen and spores, wood and charcoal, insects, and even isotopes. Biomolecules like lipids, proteins, and DNA can be revelatory samples. With respect to geoarchaeology, computer systems for topography and satellites imaging are often used to reconstruct landscapes.The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system that can process spatial data and construct virtual landscapes.

Significance/Applications

Environmental archaeology can provide humanity with a deeper understanding of our relationship with the earth and its resources, which can inform future environmental interactions. Through predation, agriculture, and introduction of foreign biota into new environments, humans have altered past environments. Understanding these past processes can help us pursue conservation and restorative processes in the present.