Life in the weather-world: examining an eighteenth-century ‘ecological perspective’

Toby Pillatt

doi:10.1080/00438243.2016.1220869

Life in the weather-world: examining an eighteenth-century ‘ecological perspective’

Toby Pillatt^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Within archaeology, discussions on climate are usually framed in the broad scale and long term, but by using diaries as rich sources on local environmental and landscape history, it is possible to develop archaeological insights into climate predicated on the everyday human experience of living in the landscape. This article presents a case study of two Quaker diarists, who farmed on the edge of the Lake District in north-west England during the eighteenth century. One of these diarists, Elihu Robinson, had a world view that linked social, natural and religious spheres of action with his compassionate and deeply felt faith. Arguably, this is an example of a Quaker ‘ecological perspective’ which contributed to an eighteenth-century environmental ethic. By thinking in terms of Tim Ingold’s weather-world, it is possible to see how this perspective emerged in relation to the diarists’ interactions with weather and landscape.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	586-602
Number of pages	17
Journal	World Archaeology
Volume	48
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2016.1220869
Publication status	Published - 28 Sept 2016

Keywords

Cumbria
diaries
eighteenth century
landscape
Quaker
weather

Access to Document

10.1080/00438243.2016.1220869

http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/105764/

Cite this

@article{27c2e1bcd3a5454a8a6243e563aed816,

title = "Life in the weather-world: examining an eighteenth-century {\textquoteleft}ecological perspective{\textquoteright}",

abstract = "Within archaeology, discussions on climate are usually framed in the broad scale and long term, but by using diaries as rich sources on local environmental and landscape history, it is possible to develop archaeological insights into climate predicated on the everyday human experience of living in the landscape. This article presents a case study of two Quaker diarists, who farmed on the edge of the Lake District in north-west England during the eighteenth century. One of these diarists, Elihu Robinson, had a world view that linked social, natural and religious spheres of action with his compassionate and deeply felt faith. Arguably, this is an example of a Quaker {\textquoteleft}ecological perspective{\textquoteright} which contributed to an eighteenth-century environmental ethic. By thinking in terms of Tim Ingold{\textquoteright}s weather-world, it is possible to see how this perspective emerged in relation to the diarists{\textquoteright} interactions with weather and landscape.",

keywords = "Cumbria, diaries, eighteenth century, landscape, Quaker, weather",

author = "Toby Pillatt",

year = "2016",

month = sep,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1080/00438243.2016.1220869",

language = "English",

volume = "48",

pages = "586--602",

journal = "World Archaeology",

issn = "0043-8243",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Life in the weather-world

T2 - examining an eighteenth-century ‘ecological perspective’

AU - Pillatt, Toby

PY - 2016/9/28

Y1 - 2016/9/28

N2 - Within archaeology, discussions on climate are usually framed in the broad scale and long term, but by using diaries as rich sources on local environmental and landscape history, it is possible to develop archaeological insights into climate predicated on the everyday human experience of living in the landscape. This article presents a case study of two Quaker diarists, who farmed on the edge of the Lake District in north-west England during the eighteenth century. One of these diarists, Elihu Robinson, had a world view that linked social, natural and religious spheres of action with his compassionate and deeply felt faith. Arguably, this is an example of a Quaker ‘ecological perspective’ which contributed to an eighteenth-century environmental ethic. By thinking in terms of Tim Ingold’s weather-world, it is possible to see how this perspective emerged in relation to the diarists’ interactions with weather and landscape.

AB - Within archaeology, discussions on climate are usually framed in the broad scale and long term, but by using diaries as rich sources on local environmental and landscape history, it is possible to develop archaeological insights into climate predicated on the everyday human experience of living in the landscape. This article presents a case study of two Quaker diarists, who farmed on the edge of the Lake District in north-west England during the eighteenth century. One of these diarists, Elihu Robinson, had a world view that linked social, natural and religious spheres of action with his compassionate and deeply felt faith. Arguably, this is an example of a Quaker ‘ecological perspective’ which contributed to an eighteenth-century environmental ethic. By thinking in terms of Tim Ingold’s weather-world, it is possible to see how this perspective emerged in relation to the diarists’ interactions with weather and landscape.

KW - Cumbria

KW - diaries

KW - eighteenth century

KW - landscape

KW - Quaker

KW - weather

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84988915370&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/00438243.2016.1220869

DO - 10.1080/00438243.2016.1220869

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84988915370

SN - 0043-8243

VL - 48

SP - 586

EP - 602

JO - World Archaeology

JF - World Archaeology

IS - 4

ER -

Life in the weather-world: examining an eighteenth-century ‘ecological perspective’

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this