Abstract
Traditional archive sources relating to environmental history are of fundamental importance not only for historians. They should be also used by climatologists, physical geographers, and other natural scientists.
As a matter of fact, these sources are very rich and easily accessible, for example weather records provided in the 18th century by the Moravian Brethren served as an important source of various analyses of climate changes in the Arctic, and the records of the guild of Prague fish merchants provide crucial information about European trade with Baltic fish since the 17th century. The aim of the text is to show and explain further potential of archive findings and their interpretation.
The presentation focuses on general characteristics of written sources related to the history of climate, landscape perception, and landscape transformation and management. It also challenges the traditional approach to environmental history sources since, in the author's view, environmental history should take into account various historical concepts of archive keeping and the selection of sources that was implemented by their authors and providers.
Within this particular framework, the contribution shall focus on the core subject of this panel, that is, the role of modernity, science, and ideology.