Environmental Narratives and the History of Soil Erosion in Kondea District, Tanzania

Archaeologists have often argued that two of the greatest strengths of their discipline are its temporal depth and its interdisciplinary nature. Historians of Africa have also endorsed this, most notably perhaps Jan Vansina, in his review of archaeology's relationship with history with particular reference to the African continent.1 Other historians have made similar observations, if not quite so overtly as Vansina.2 One theme to which these dual strengths of archaeology have much to contribute is the debate over "environmental" or "crisis" narratives. These are the "stories" or "scenarios" that political leaders, planners, development specialists, conservationists, …