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Wageningen Universiteit
revelations of the americas before columbus - with a special reference
to the terra preta phenomenon
1491: New Revelations of the
Americas Before Columbus - With a special reference to the Terra Preta
phenomenon
31 jan 2007 19:30
Onderdeel: Wageningen UR
Locatie: Studium Generale, Lawickse Allee 13, Wageningen
Organisatie: Studium Generale, Wageningen University
Charles Mann, Amherst MA, U.S.A
Charles Mann, Amherst MA, VS, schrijver van 1491, De ontdekking van
pre-Columbiaans Amerika, en Gertjan Becx, Joep van den Broek en Guido
van Hofwegen (Resilience Foundation, Wageningen)
What was the Western Hemisphere like before Europeans arrived? Most of
us have a few impressions from school long ago, or from movies and the
popular culture: Columbus, the conquistadores, and the first
Thanksgiving. Most of those ideas are wrong, says author Charles Mann
in his book: 1491 - New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus.
The bestseller book combines research of the past decades on the
pre-Columbian Americas.
Mann argues that the Americas had a far larger population than was
previously assumed. The Americas inhabited multiple cultures,
languages and large cities. Mann claims that the idea of a pristine,
natural environment in the Americas before 1491 is untrue. The
ecological conditions there were shaped by human activity far before
European colonization.
One of the greatest achievements of the native population of the
Amazon, and main topic of the presentation, is the creation of Terra
Preta. Terra Preta is a very stable soil type with a very high
fertility. Researchers conclude that this soil type is able to produce
4-10 times as much food as other tropical soils. The creation of this
soil was crucial for sustaining large populations. `
Terra Preta are probably a product of indigenous soil management
involving a labor intensive technique of slash-and-char. In addition,
the presence of fish bones and special bacteria and fungi play a role.
Until now some of the questions on the miraculous fertility of Terra
Preta have been answered, but many questions with respect to the
origin, distribution, and properties remain. Currently, Wageningen
researchers attempt to unravel some of the remaining mysteries
surrounding Terra Preta and they even attempt to recreate Terra Preta.
After the presentation of Charles Mann some of the Terra Preta
research conducted at Wageningen University will be discussed.
The 1491 book introduced Terra Preta to a broader audience. It
received very positive reviews, was on several bestseller lists, and
was on a number lists for best book of the year. For samples of
critical responses to the book, click here.
Charles C. Mann is a science journalist and writer. He has co-authored
several books: @Large: The Strange Case of the Worldâs Biggest
Internet Invasion (1998); Noahâs Choice: The Future of Endangered
Species (1995); The Aspirin Wars: Money, Medicine and 100 Years of
Rampant Competition (1991); and The Second Creation: Makers of the
Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics (1986, rev. ed. 1995). His
articles have appeared in Science, Technology Review, The Atlantic
Monthly, and Wired.
This is the first presentation in the pilot âStudium Generale
Wageningen TVâ in real-time on-line via Internet.
De link is wurtv.wur.nl/presentations/roadkit3/
See the original
WUR TV
Contact
Information
Rob.vanhaarlem@wur.nl
Tel. 0317 48 4413
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