ИСТИНА

The perception of soils varied between the epochs. In the pre-agrarian epoch the soil had a negative connotation for human beings, because it was a dangerous source of potherb, full of poisonous beings such as snakes, spiders, millipedes etc. After the Neolithic agrarian revolution the perception of soils somewhat changed: the myths of the agricultural era regarded soil as “mother”, the source of life. In the cosmogony of that epoch the soil was commonly regarded as a material used by demiurges for constructing humans or as a habitat of the first people. At the same time the soil was a mysterious object that also caused fear, because to a great extent the reasons for soil fertility or infertility remained unknown. Negative soil properties were attributed to the effect of evil spirits or to some discontent of the gods. These views remained until late medieval epoch. For example, in the infamous ‘kattekleigronden’ (cat clays, i.e. acid sulphate soils) quick soil acidification due to pyrite oxidation had a strong negative effect on the crops: this effect was attributed to witchcraft, and cats were commonly associated with witchery thus giving name to these soils. In some cultures vernacular soil classification considered the weird world rather than physical soil properties. For example, the Shipobo people in Peru classified differently the soils close to the village, where friendly spirits lived, and the soils of distant areas, where hostile forces rested. Since the causes of soil fertility were attributed to supernatural forces, the ancient agriculturalists relied on praying, sacrificing, and magic rituals. There are evidences that human and animal offerings were not uncommon. In ancient Mexico the Aztects sacrificed children to the gods of fertility. In more advanced cultures like in ancient Rome the offering was reduced to ritual smoke for the gods. Though recently rational knowledge replaced the mythological perception of soils, the old beliefs are still strong in the collective memory of the humankind. Actually a common view on soil is based on its importance for agriculture. However, this vision is far from being clear. A plethora of various understandings of soil exist, depending on the focal group (farmers, scientists, politicians etc.). Even intuitively clear concepts like “soil fertility” may have different meanings and connotations. The surprising fact of the present time is that the soil, though being of major importance for the existence of human civilization, is often neglected or underestimated. One can face even an actively negative perception of soil by people of various educational level and social position. The negativism towards the soils may have several causes: a) the old pre-agrarian and agrarian fears may be still active in human mind, b) people associate soils with graveyards, and thus soil reminds the death inspiring negative emotions, c) the soil is not personalized in the mind of humans today, and thus it causes minor emotional response, d) most decision-makers are townspeople who regards soil as “dirt”, e) the apologists of “green revolution” consider soil as a passive object of application of fertilizers and management practices, f) experts in other areas do not want competition for funds with soil scientists. Though some of these causes are of practical nature, we cannot neglect the perceptional nature of the others. For increasing awareness on soils, for attracting investment in soil protection we should better understand the mental processes responsible for perception of soils, their management and conservation. The key may be in the study of the past and actual soil knowledge among the agrarian cultures, i.e. in ethnopedology. We also suggest establishing neuropedology - a new discipline on the crossroad of pedology, social sciences and psychology, which should consider the history, the actual state, and the methods of control of perception of soil-related concepts.