It’s important to understand how people used, affected and related to the natural environment. They show that Aboriginal people also inhabited Tasmania’s forests, in particular wet sclerophyll forests.īy Ted Lefroy, David Bowman, Grant Williamson, Penelope Jones, University of Tasmania This eye for the open parts of the Australian landscapes likely contributed to a view that Aboriginal people, too, almost exclusively preferred open vegetation types such as woodland and grasslands.īut findings from our recently published study of archaeological records challenge this notion. They sowed seeds to create pasture for sheep and cattle and opened up areas to cultivate crops brought from the northern hemisphere. They modified the landscape to suit their domesticated plants and animals. The same can be said of the first Europeans in Australia. Instead of adapting their vision to suit the place, they changed the landscape to fit their vision. They came with vision of former places but not the sight to see what was before them. American farmer and poet Wendell Berry said of the first Europeans in North America that they came with vision, but not with sight.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |