The fact that humanity threatens the planet’s life by aggressively changing the environment to suit its needs is a relatively recent phenomenon that may seem like an exclusively modern issue. However, numerous studies provide evidence that even before the appearance of intelligent humans on Earth, humans’ distant ancestors may have caused the extinction of entire species of animals and plants. In ancient times, societies were not creators and did not co-evolve in their interaction with nature, but instead were destroyers and harmed the ecosystem.
Several primary types of human impact on the ecosystem in ancient times can be distinguished: the soil cover, animal and plant life, and the geological environment. The first is associated with some construction, compaction, trampling of the upper soil horizon, destruction of its profile, and deflation. At the sites of abandoned ancient settlements, the soil cover has a complex structure and largely depends on the use of the territory during human habitation. Archaeological investigations revealed that it was not the invasion of the Mongols in the XIII century that ended the prosperity of Mesopotamia (Williams, 2020). Still, the prolonged agricultural development destroyed the soil. The greatest threat to agriculture was the salinization of dirt and the practice of extensive farming when the owner moved to another plot, re-establishing the irrigation system. As a result, the salt crust covered more comprehensive and larger areas. Moreover, nomadic pastoralism could contribute to pasture soil degradation, primarily due to the high concentration of certain grazing animals per unit area.
Changes in the vegetation cover (mainly forested areas) of the Earth could be related to construction, industrial, domestic, and agricultural influences. In ancient times, wood was used in large quantities for building dwellings, heating, burning coal, making tar, and creating household goods and tools (Williams, 2020). Massive deforestation and plowing led to radical changes in landscapes. The felling of forests could lead to the swamping of territories and later to the shift in the species composition of trees.
For example, many oak groves on the environment of the European continent were cut down already in the early Middle Ages. It should be noted that as early as in Babylon, in the 18th century B.C., a forest protection law was passed, confirming that the problem of ecology has incredibly ancient roots (Williams, 2020). Correspondingly, the accelerated decline in populations of large mammals began about four million years ago due to the appearance of the first humans on the historical scene. The researchers found that the extinction rate of large carnivores correlated with the growth of the brain volume of ancient man and the change in the amount of vegetation in the region but found no connection either with precipitation or with temperature changes (Williams, 2020). The accelerated disappearance of predators is sufficiently explained by direct competition between these animals and pre-modern humans for food. Primitive humans took freshly caught prey from ancient predators like saber-toothed tigers, condemning them to death by starvation.
It can be concluded that significant anthropogenic influence on species diversity began millions of years ago. Primitive man obtained food by hunting and gathering, damaging the environment. Even then, people were cutting down forests to plow fields, domesticated animals, and mass extermination of predators, and pastoralists were changing the atmosphere for grazing. The pace of metamorphosis was uneven in various parts of the Earth, but it was occurring all over the planet. Despite the relatively small human population, agricultural methods were often extensive, resulting in significant losses to the natural environment. As a result, civilizations faced deforestation, lack of water, and unfavorable living conditions after a while. Traces of ancient changes in the natural landscape can still be noticed. They are direct evidence that pre-modern societies did not use the environment more sustainably than modern ones.
Reference
Williams, J. (2020). Humanity, technology, and nature. Icon, 25(2), 8-28.