Human Geography Chapter 4 Interpreting Placec & Cultural Landscape

. Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape By chance , have you ever heard of the word palimpsest ?

Im going to guess the answer is no , but this unique sounding word is helpful in understanding what cultural landscapes are , how they are formed , and how to interpret or produce meaning from them , all of which are the topics of this chapter . Lets take a closer look . According to dictionary , a palimpsest is writing material ( such as a parchment or tablet ) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased and something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface . Below is a photograph of a prayer book , with traces of what was previously written on the parchment pages , which were mathematical notes by Greek mathematician Archimedes . Source Before paper , books were made up of pages of parchment , which was typically made from animal skin and was scarce and pricey . This 36 Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape

meant that instead of discarding an book , the original text would be scraped off the parchment and new text would be layered on . The trace of what came before was figuratively palpable and literally present . You can see this on the page above . Landscapes are like they bear the trace of what came before and frame what comes next . Landscapes are accumulations of the natural and made past , spanning from the recent past to the distant past . Like books , they can be read or interpreted . Instead of words on the page signifying the meaning , natural and forces and elements that have shaped the landscape signify the landscapes meaning . Cultural landscapes specifically examine how human systems and forces shape landscape more so than natural forces . DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING Learn more about landscapes by reading the Landscapes section here . Interpreting Cultural Landscapes There are a few models we can follow that guide us in how to interpret cultural landscapes and cultural regions , or areas with similar cultural influences . The first is the model by geographer Donald , who examined the Mormon cultural landscape in the United States . To interpret this landscape , he Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape 37

looked for the layers of Mormon culture embedded within the American Mormon region and what kinds of signatures the culture in terms or architecture , business type , spatial arrangement of residential and commercial establishments , etc . The idea of this model is that the cultural influences are strongest at the core of the region and diffuse from there in a diluted way . Image by author ) According to this model , the core of the Mormon cultural region would be characterized by comparatively higher rates of the following as compared with with the domain and sphere church attendance , religious billboards , brunch traffic at restaurants after services , restrictions on how much alcohol is served at at time in bars and restaurants reflecting the Mormon value of restraint , etc . Likewise , there would be a lack of certain aspects within the core as compared with other regions , like tattoo and piercing shops , which are classically discouraged within Mormon culture . When you interpreting landscapes , consider examining the following aspects or layers and how they reveal the past , reflect the present , and shape the future of a place 38 Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape

Infrastructure ( layout , architecture ) Names ( of neighborhoods , buildings , streets , sports teams ) Natural ( presence or removal or arrangement of trees water systems role of natural elements in shaping built environment how human systems and infrastructure are adapted to the environment ) Local customs ( examples Do people stand in line or is it a ?

Are marked and followed by pedestrians ?

Other material and immaterial culture ( see section below ) Exercise model Think of a culture or way of life with which you have this is gaming culture , farming culture , urban culture , etc . Apply the model to your case study . How well does the model apply to your case study ?

Describe a specific example of a cultural aspect that fits with the model and another aspect that from it . If you dont think the model applies at all , discuss why that might be . Are there aspects of contemporary society and how culture diffuses that might limit the utility of this model nowadays , or not ?

Another way to approach landscape interpretation is by paying special attention to both material and nonmaterial culture . Material culture relates to the various tangible objects made and used by culture . Many of these material artifacts are given meaning by the Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape 39

culture and can even change over time . Nonmaterial culture refers to intangible ideas that cultures have that are not tied directly to material objects . These beliefs are often attached to place . Let use these ideas of material and nonmaterial culture to read cultural landscapes . The United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization ( has a list of cultural landscapes . The following short videos show several of these landscapes . National Park ( video Questions ( for ) How do the cave paintings relate to culture ?

Discuss the importance of water in this cultural landscape . How is this importance embedded in place ?

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Valley video Questions ( for ) How can we tell that a large national change occurred within this landscape ?

Which cultural groups ( Taliban , Buddhists ) did which things to the landscape ?

40 Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text . You can view it online here ) Questions ( for video above ) How has history , time , and scale impacted this landscape ?

How has the local culture changed over time vis the labor and treatment of both children and horses ?

Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape 41 A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text . You can view it online here ea ?

Questions ( for video ) What do fences tell us about the culture ?

About the geography of this location ?

Do the people living here use traditional methods and knowledge , or new methods and knowledge ?

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine video 42 Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape Questions ( for video ) Names of places and objects have importance on the cultural landscape . What does the language and naming in this landscape tell us about the local history and tradition ?

Discuss the form and function of the terrace structures . What ideas from culture are imbued in these structures ?

How is local infrastructure adapted to the agricultural practices in the video ?

Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape 43 A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text . You can view it online here human ea ?

Questions ( for video ) Tequila often has a Declaration of Origin , which certifies that the product is from Mexico and produced according to strict guidelines . What does a Declaration of Origin tied to a drink tell us about cultural identity ?

What aspects of cultural syncretism , which refers to a of cultures or the of one culture on another resulting in blended cultural products , processes . and beliefs . do you see ?

44 Interpreting Place Cultural Landscape A YouTube element has been excluded from this version of the text . You can view it online here ea ?

Questions ( for video ) What do the Western clothing and artifacts tell us ?

What is the relationship between people and livestock and how is that reflected or revealed in the landscape ?

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