Geography
How Cultural Landscapes Reflect Historical Land-Use Legacies
Quick fact
In New England, stone walls that were built by farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries still crisscross modern forests, even though the trees have grown back. The walls persist as ghostly boundaries, showing that today's 'wild' forests were once cleared pastures and fields.
Why this is interesting
You may think of a landscape as purely natural, but many fields, forests, and hillsides you see today were shaped by decisions made centuries ago. What if the very ground under your feet is a record of forgotten human choices?