engleski

Sources and methodologies into environmental history research. Examples from the case studies in Mediterranean Croatia

Tracing the environmental change in Mediterranean Croatia is enabled by the spatial analysis of a variety of sources, different in character, different in time and different in relation to their origin. Sources include narratives (travel accounts), cadastral documents, including graphic plans as well as census data, topographical maps and most recently satellite images. The availability of sources determines both – the temporal, as well as spatial frame of the research. The initial period of research in presented case studies goes back to 18th – 19th centuries. The research is based on the old cadastral survey data and travel accounts of the time. Those sources, different in character, as well as in information complement well each other. Some information that is not available from the cadaster, may be learned from the detailed science travelogues of the time. Following comparative periods of 20th an 21st centuries in monitoring the environmental change are based primarily on more recent databases such as topographical maps, satellite images and forestry databases. Using different sources and types of information is the base of the mixed method approach. It usually gives many advantages, especially as important corrective element. Still it brings many obstacles and difficulties in leveling different data and information, as well as methodologies, in order to make it comparable through time and also requires skilled research work.

Environmental history, methodology of research, narrative sources, cadastral sources, mixed-method approach, Mediterranean Croatia

Pozvano predavanje na Okruglom stolu Poslijediplomskog doktorskog studija predmoderne povijest na Filozofskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, održano 1.2.2020.