History of the Earth Sciences from the South

Abstract

AbstractThe history of the earth sciences has predominantly revolved around the accumulation of knowledge within north Atlantic institutions and networks. This chapter examines a range of recent attempts to resituate this narrative within wider frames and argues for the particular importance of southern perspectives. By exploring southern archives, materials, knowledges, and networks, it becomes evident that the development of modern thinking about the planet extends well beyond the European revelation of deep time. Incorporating these perspectives reveals the interplay between Indigenous geomythologies, imperial and colonial struggles, and concurrent investments in the earth and its pasts within a globalized world. While histories of geology and geoscience have traditionally focused on the construction of new temporalities, this chapter proposes that historians should consider spatiality alongside temporality. By embracing the spatial axis of earth science, historians can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subfield, accounting for material, political, anthropological, and potentially postcolonial dimensions. I suggest that this exploration of a place-line – how horizons of possible thought differ from place to place – within the history of the earth sciences offers promising avenues for future research.