Description
One problem with scholarly research into land reclamation has been the tendency to overly focus on two questions – how and why did it happen? It has led to an over- emphasis on technological innovation and demographic and commercial pressures. Furthermore, it has obscured a far more fascinating and significant question – what were the social consequences of pre-industrial land reclamation? What kinds of societies emerged as a result of land reclamation? These questions are addressed through a comparative historical analysis of two cases of land reclamation in the medieval period: the peat lands of Holland (the Netherlands) and the Po Valley plains (Northern Italy). In the paper it is shown that medieval land reclamation led to the emergence of two very divergent societies, characterised by a number of different configurations; (a) power and property structure, (b) modes of exploitation, (c) economic portfolios, and (d) commodity markets. In the final section, a further question is considered. To what extent was either of these societies inherently better configured to negate the potentially disastrous effects of land reclamation on the natural environment?| Period | 12 Jul 2012 |
|---|---|
| Event title | World Economic History Congress |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Stellenbosch, South AfricaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Research programs
- ESHCC HIS