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Environmental Determinism vs. Social Dynamics: Prehistorical and Historical Examples

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  • G.-Fivos Sargentis

    (Laboratory of Hydrology and Water Resources Development, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechneiou 9, 15780 Zographou, Greece)

  • Demetris Koutsoyiannis

    (Laboratory of Hydrology and Water Resources Development, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechneiou 9, 15780 Zographou, Greece)

  • Andreas Angelakis

    (HAO-Demeter, Agricultural Research Institution of Crete, 71300 Iraklion, Greece
    Union of Hellenic Water Supply and Sewerage Operators, 41222 Larissa, Greece)

  • John Christy

    (Earth System Science Center, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA)

  • Anastasios A. Tsonis

    (Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
    Hydrologic Research Center, San Diego, CA 92127, USA)

Abstract

Environmental determinism is often used to explain past social collapses and to predict the future of modern human societies. We assess the availability of natural resources and the resulting carrying capacity (a basic concept of environmental determinism) through a toy model based on Hurst–Kolmogorov dynamics. We also highlight the role of social cohesion, and we evaluate it from an entropic viewpoint. Furthermore, we make the case that, when it comes to the demise of civilizations, while environmental influences may be in the mix, social dynamics is the main driver behind their decline and eventual collapse. We examine several prehistorical and historical cases of civilization collapse, the most characteristic being that of the Minoan civilization, whose disappearance c. 1100 BC has fostered several causative hypotheses. In general, we note that these hypotheses are based on catastrophic environmental causes, which nevertheless occurred a few hundred years before the collapse of Minoans. Specifically, around 1500 BC, Minoans managed to overpass many environmental adversities. As we have not found justified reasons based on the environmental determinism for when the collapse occurred (around 1100 BC), we hypothesize a possible transformation of the Minoans’ social structure as the cause of the collapse.

Suggested Citation

  • G.-Fivos Sargentis & Demetris Koutsoyiannis & Andreas Angelakis & John Christy & Anastasios A. Tsonis, 2022. "Environmental Determinism vs. Social Dynamics: Prehistorical and Historical Examples," World, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-32, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:3:y:2022:i:2:p:20-388:d:837740
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Panos Defteraios & Nikos D. Lagaros & Nikοs Mamassis, 2022. "Values and Costs in History: A Case Study on Estimating the Cost of Hadrianic Aqueduct’s Construction," World, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-27, April.
    2. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Paraskevi Siamparina & Georgia-Konstantina Sakki & Andreas Efstratiadis & Michalis Chiotinis & Demetris Koutsoyiannis, 2021. "Agricultural Land or Photovoltaic Parks? The Water–Energy–Food Nexus and Land Development Perspectives in the Thessaly Plain, Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    3. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Romanos Ioannidis & Georgios Karakatsanis & Stavroula Sigourou & Nikos D. Lagaros & Demetris Koutsoyiannis, 2019. "The Development of the Athens Water Supply System and Inferences for Optimizing the Scale of Water Infrastructures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, May.
    4. A. N. Angelakis & G. Antoniou & K. Voudouris & N. Kazakis & N. Dalezios & N. Dercas, 2020. "History of floods in Greece: causes and measures for protection," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 101(3), pages 833-852, April.
    5. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Theano Iliopoulou & Panayiotis Dimitriadis & Nikolaos Mamassis & Demetris Koutsoyiannis, 2021. "Stratification: An Entropic View of Society’s Structure," World, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-22, March.
    6. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Theano Iliopoulou & Stavroula Sigourou & Panayiotis Dimitriadis & Demetris Koutsoyiannis, 2020. "Evolution of Clustering Quantified by a Stochastic Method—Case Studies on Natural and Human Social Structures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-22, September.
    7. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Panayiotis Dimitriadis & Romanos Ioannidis & Theano Iliopoulou & Demetris Koutsoyiannis, 2019. "Stochastic Evaluation of Landscapes Transformed by Renewable Energy Installations and Civil Works," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-13, July.
    8. Richard Monastersky, 2015. "The greatest vanishing act in prehistoric America," Nature, Nature, vol. 527(7576), pages 26-29, November.
    9. Cleaver, Harry M, Jr, 1972. "The Contradictions of the Green Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(2), pages 177-186, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. G.-Fivos Sargentis & Demetris Koutsoyiannis, 2023. "The Function of Money in Water–Energy–Food and Land Nexus," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, March.
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