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WHY IS SOIL SO IMPORTANT?
WHY IS SOIL SO IMPORTANT?
All our civilisations have been built on soil. Some civilisations have treated that soil with respect . Others with neglect
Many civilisations had a high regard for soil. That is not surprising as all our civilisations have been built on soil. However, over half our present civilization has moved from the soil to live in town and Britain's people were the first to do so..
Asia
Asia
Ancient Egypt who saw the fertile soil along the banks of the Nile River as crucial to the prosperity of ancient Egyptian civilization. They were right. The regular flooding by the Nile of nutrient-rich silt rejuvenated the soil, enabling successful agricultural practices. Other civilisations also depended on the river fertilising the soil. In Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers created the fertile crescent in Mesopotamia, where the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations flourished. The Indus Valley Civilization again relied and recognised the fertile soil along the Indus River contributed to the development of its civilization in present-day Pakistan and northwest India.
Culture
Culture
But the value of soil is not just functional. In Ancient Chinese culture, the connection to the land and soil was profound, as they saw the soil as a source of life and prosperity - being part of the concept of "feng shui". Native American people held a deep respect for the land and soil., whose spiritual beliefs often centred around the Earth as a provider of sustenance and life. In Japanese Culture the concept of "tsuchi" (soil or earth) is integral to Shinto beliefs and practices. Indigenous cultures around the world have deep reverence for the soil, viewing it as a provider of sustenance, a connection to their ancestors, and a source of spiritual significance.
More 'end of Holocene'
Greek
Greek
“But in the primitive state of the country, its mountains were high hills covered with soil, and the plains, … were full of rich earth, and there was abundance of wood in the mountains. Of this last the traces still remain, for although some of the mountains now only afford sustenance to bees not so very long ago there were still to be seen roofs of timber cut from trees growing there, which were of a size sufficient to cover the largest houses; and there were many other high trees, cultivated by man and bearing abundance of food for cattle. Moreover, the land reaped the benefit of the annual rainfall, not as now losing the water which flows off the bare earth into the sea, but, having an abundant supply in all places, and receiving it into herself and treasuring it up in the close clay soil, it let off into the hollows the streams which it absorbed from the heights, providing everywhere abundant fountains and rivers, of which there may still be observed sacred memorials in places where fountains once existed; and this proves the truth of what I am saying.” Plato's account of Atlantis 450 BC para 536
Romans
Romans
What did the Romans ever do for us? They helped create the Sahara ‘Dirt: the erosion of civilisations’ Like the Greeks had Demeter, they had an agricultural deity Ceres associated with the harvest and fertility of the land. However, instead of preying they should have stopped ploughing.
More 'end of Holocene'
Italy was densely forested, but by the end of the Roman Imperium, much of the region had been cleared. Timber was sold, and forest lands were converted into pasture.
While the soil in cleared lands was initially rich in nutrients and good for production, it became depleted over time.
"Libya was once a granary of the Empire; though the climate of what was once the lush province of Cyrenaica hasn’t changed radically, the area is now desert—because the soil was sucked dry of nutrients to feed Rome."
Soil & Trade
Soil & Trade
Probably the best soil in the world is known as black soil in Ukraine. It's proper name is Mollisol, a relatively recent soil,. You can see how deep it is round this reporter..
Catherine the Great of Russia knew and so took it over. ..
The first grain trade started there the wheat travelling along.. making the Baltic the centre of the grain trade until the US took over in the late 1800s, having taken over the West and shipping much to Europe. We will look in more detail about this in the late Holocene..
Recent
Recent
In 1927 in Nature, Milton Whitney sets out Soil & Civilisation to show “the soil is not the dead, inert, and simple thing often referred to as ‘dirt.’ It is essentially a factory where raw materials are converted into finished products.
50 years later, Edward Hymans produced his classic ‘Soil and Civilisation’ . In the book he presents an ecological perspective on human history, describing people's relationships with the soil as being integrated, creative, or parasitic. He also coins the phrase ‘living entity’ to describe soil, which is a useful term used throughout this book.
with a general rundown in soil science throughout the world. Basically, we see soil as a substrate to receive a mixture of substances, expecting the soil to keep delivering.
At the beginning of 21st century David Montgomery wrote 'Dirt: Erosion of Civilisations' It is an engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilisations to modern times, exploring "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."
Present State
Present State
Since I was an agricultural student, many Ministries of Agriculture’ and their soil departments have declined in power and presence. Soil science is much less influential now than when I was a researcher in soil zoology. Hence our politicians are overlooking soil.
However, in the last few years, many more people are becoming fascinated by the soil, with new words like ‘regenerative’ and ‘soil health’ are being used. I wrote (for Schumacher College, Plymouth University) the first Masters degree in the UK on 'Regenerative Food & Farming'. We are beginning to realise that life underground may help a lot with life above ground. Increasingly we see the role of soil in major environmental concerns as more significant than previously realised.
Yet, in order to promote that role better, we need to know much more about the what’s why’s and when’s of how soils work. If we are to improve the sorry state of our soil, then we could do well to learn from the past in order to guide us in the future. So let’s look closer at the soil and how it was created
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