Cultural soilscapes

Abstract

While soil is normally studied as the outcome of natural geological and chemical processes, soil research by archaeologists, geographers and other social scientists focuses on the human behavioural dimensions of soil formation. As a result, 'cultural soilscape' is an analytical concept common to both Earth and social sciences that encourages a more holistic, transdisciplinary approach to studying soil formation processes. This paper introduces the concept of cultural soilscape and reviews important archaeological work on this theme over the past decade.

Soil “Ecosystem” Services and Natural Capital: Critical Appraisal of Research on Uncertain Ground

“…For example, Dominati et al (2010b) argue that social and esteem needs cannot be fulfilled by soil services, because these needs are based solely on humans' self-perception of emotionallybased relationships with other human beings (or even animals). However, one could easily argue, as a number of authors have done (Boivin and Owoc, 2004;Wells, 2006;Salisbury, 2012), that, on the contrary, soil cultural services, in and of themselves or as part of a broader connection between humans and land or landscape, contribute strongly to the strengthening of a sense of individual and community identity, as well as of well-being among people (e.g., Tengberg et al, 2012).…”

A critical physical geography of urban soil contamination

“…Researchers must do more than simply identify anthropogenic processes; they must also recognize that ''soil is a manifestation of social history, an embodiment of social dynamics'' (Swidler, 2009, p. 7). In short, we must examine both ''soil memory'' (Targulian and Goryachkin, 2004;Wells, 2006) -the materially encoded physical, chemical, and biological effects of human activity -and the social processes and relations underwriting such activity. This is precisely the kind of work that a CPG of soil Pb might help us with.…”

Multi-proxy survey of open-air surface scatters in drylands: Archaeological and physico-chemical characterisation of fossilised dunes in North Gujarat (India)

“…These signatures are the result of spatially and temporally variable geomorphic, pedogenic and cultural processes, all of them defining distinct cultural soilscapes (Wells, 2006). Cultural soilscapes represent an important analytical domain, yet not deeply explored in drylands, which can reveal the complex temporal relationships between soil bodies and the consequences of human behaviour.…”