The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife: Britain and Ireland between the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution

The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife provides a new baseline against which to discuss subsequent declines and extinctions,expansions and introductions of over 150 species in Britain and Ireland before modern records began. It raises questions and answers many others, valuable to conservationists, archaeologists, historians, and anyone interested in the natural heritage of Britain and Ireland.

Format: Hardback
Length: 408 pages
Publication date: 18 July 2023
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing

The Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife delves into the era preceding climate change, agriculture's intensification, and even the Industrial Revolution. During the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, beavers graced the River Ness, while isolated populations of wolves and lynxes roamed the uplands. Sea eagles were abundant along the coasts, and Wildcats and pine martens thrived in the Lake District.

In this groundbreaking volume, the observations of early modern amateur naturalists, travelers, and local historians are compiled for the first time. Drawing on over 10,000 records spanning Britain and Ireland, the book presents detailed maps and notes on the former distribution of over 150 species, serving as a valuable baseline for discussing subsequent declines, extinctions, expansions, and introductions.

A comprehensive guide to identification is included, detailing reliable and unreliable species names, including pre-Linnaean scientific nomenclature, local names in early modern English, Irish, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish, and Norn, where applicable. This resource raises numerous questions while simultaneously providing answers, making it invaluable for conservationists, archaeologists, historians, and anyone with a passion for Britain and Ireland's natural heritage.

Weight: 1188g
Dimension: 176 x 252 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784274078