Landscape, Memory And History: Anthropological Perspectives (Anthropology, Culture and Society)

How do people perceive the land around them, and how is that perception changed by history? The contributors explore this question from an anthropological angle, assessing the connections between place, space, identity, nationalism, history and memory in a variety of different settings around the world. Taking historical change and memory as key themes, they offer a broad study that will appeal to a readership across the social sciences. Contributors from North America, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Europe explore a wide variety of case studies that includes seascapes in Jamaica; the Solomon Islands; the forests of Madagascar; Aboriginal and European notions of landscape in Australia; place and identity in 19th century maps and the bogs of Ireland; contemporary concerns over changing landscapes in Papua New Guinea; and representations of landscape and history in the poetry of the Scottish Borders. Introduction / Pamela J. Stewart And Andrew Strathern -- Iconic Images: Landscape And History In The Local Poetry Of The Scottish Borders / John Gray -- Céide Fields: Natural Histories Of A Buried Landscape / Stuart Mclean -- Landscape Representation: Place And Identity In Nineteenth-century Ordnance Survey Maps Of Ireland / Angèle Smith -- Memories Of Ancestry In The Forests Of Madagasacar / Janice Harper -- Moon Shadows: Aboriginal And European Heroes In An Australian Landscape / Veronica Strang -- History, Mobility And Land Use Interests Of Aborigines And Farmers In The East Kimberly In North-west Australia / Ruth Lane -- Co-present Landscapes: Routes And Rootedness As Sources Of Identity In Highlands New Guinea / Michael O'hanlon And Linda Frankland -- 'island Builders': Landscape And Historicity Among The Langalanga, Solomon Islands / Pei-yi Guo -- Biography, Ecology, Political Economy: Seascape And Conflict In Jamaica / James G. Carrier. Edited By Pamela J. Stewart And Andrew Strathern. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "How do people perceive the land around them, and how is that perception changed by history? This book explores this question from an anthropological angle, assessing the connections between place, space, identity, nationalism, history and memory in a variety of different settings around the world. Taking historical change and memory as key themes, it is a broad study that will appeal to a readership across the social sciences. Contributors from North America, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Europe explore a wide variety of case studies that includes seascapes in Jamaica; the Solomon Islands; the forests of Madagascar; Aboriginal and European notions of landscape in Australia; place and identity in 19th century maps and the bogs of Ireland; contemporary concerns over changing landscapes in Papua New Guinea; and representations of landscape and history in the poetry of the Scottish Borders."-- Provided by publisher Over the last 20 years, a debate has opened up in the social sciences about notions of 'space' and 'place.' This collection of papers draws on anthropological perspectives to examine how a sense of landscape is imbued with -- and in turn affected by -- deeply imbedded notions of history, in a variety of different settings. American, Australian and British scholars examine the significance of this use of landscape for studies of identity -- particularly as an alternative to a previous concentration solely on nationalism and national sense of identity. In doing so they re-establish a sphere for present-day social anthropology to link back to earlier 'community-based' approaches and to make explicit an emphasis on political change, citizenship et al. They examine, quite literally, how people really see themselves in their environment -- and how that perception changes and is affected by history Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Figures -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Iconic Images: Landscape and History in the Local Poetry of the Scottish Borders -- 3. Céide Fields: Natural Histories of a Buried Landscape -- 4. Landscape Representation: Place and Identity in Nineteenth-century Ordnance Survey Maps of Ireland -- 5. Memories of Ancestry in the Forests of Madagascar -- 6. Moon Shadows: Aboriginal and European Heroes in an Australian Landscape -- 7. History, Mobility and Land Use Interests of Aborigines and Farmers in the East Kimberly in North-West Australia -- 8. Co-present Landscapes: Routes and Rootedness as Sources of Identity in Highlands New Guinea -- 9. 'Island Builders': Landscape and Historicity Among the Langalanga, Solomon Islands -- 10. Biography, Ecology, Political Economy: Seascape and Conflict in Jamaica -- Epilogue -- Notes on Contributors -- Index How do people perceive the land around them, and how is that perception changed by history? The contributors explore this question from an anthropological angle, assessing the connections between place, space, identity, nationalism, history and memory in a variety of different settings around the world. [from publisher's advertisement] American, Australian and British scholars examine the significance of the use of landscape for studies of identity The topic of landscape has recently come more to the fore in anthropological interests.