Abstract
It is argued that religions have developed rules or have used teaching material — parables — which were appropriate to the environment and problems of the time. In societies where religion takes a central place, the communities would look to the exponents of their religion to provide at least explanation and comfort in relation to the problems they faced. It is often these rules and observances that have been transmitted to us, and hence they may constitute a direct means of understanding the wider economic situation of the community. As an example of this, the environment and religion of Classical Attica are investigated and relationships between the economy, environment and religion are demonstrated. The Greek Pantheon evolved over time, with deities being replaced by others with apparently related constituencies. However, close scrutiny suggests that there is a subtle shift in emphasis, which may reflect changes in the socio-economic structure of the region. In Attica, this evolution reflects a move towards increasing popular concern over the yield of crops. Although rainfall variability was the primary cause of inter-annual variation in yield, productivity was also limited by reduction in the soil’s fertility. Loss of productivity was a result of excessively intense use of the arable and grazing land, especially at times of high population density, such that soil nutrient and organic matter contents were reduced. The result of this was that in years of sufficient rainfall crop growth was limited by nutrient shortage. Even at times of lower population, the capacity of the land to provide sufficient food reliably and sustainably was marginal. The changes in the deities provide an example of theology evolving to reflect society’s needs, although not apparently solving people’s problems. The resulting changed perceptions may, however, have reduced overexploitation of the environment because of concern over divine retribution.
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Shiel, R. (2001). The Potential for using Religious Belief to Derive Environmental Information on Past Societies, with a Case Study on the Environment of Attica. In: Albarella, U. (eds) Environmental Archaeology: Meaning and Purpose. Environmental Science and Technology Library, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9652-7_19
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