Earthly
Paradises: Ancient Gardens in History
and Archaeology
by Maureen Carroll
Getty Publications, Los Angeles, CA, 2003
144 pp., illus. 30 b/w, 72 col. Trade,
$35.00
ISBN: 0-89236-721-0.
Reviewed by Rob Harle
Southern Cross University, Australia
recluse@lis.net.au
This wonderful book is a rather difficult
one to categorise. Whilst it is a scholarly,
well-researched academic work, it is an
easy pleasurable read and will also satisfy
the dedicated serious amateur gardeners
of the world.
It is not a "how-to" gardening book, though
the numerous colour illustrations of ancient
gardens and plants will no doubt inspire
modern garden designers who want to incorporate
an "old world" feel into their gardens.
Maureen Carrolls extensive research
covers all sorts of gardens from the second
millennium B.C. to the middle of the first
millennium A.D. and includes house gardens,
orchards, parks, sacred, public and cemetery
gardens. The gardens are mainly from the
Near East, Egypt, Greece, Italy and especially
from the provinces of the Roman Empire.
Ancient horticultural practices, the role
of gardeners, and plant varieties are
discussed in addition to the role gardens
played in the religions and economies
of these ancient societies. The book has
nine chapters as follows: 1Ancient
gardens and the evidence, 2Utilitarian
and ornamental house gardens, 3Orchards,
groves and parks, 4Sacred
gardens, 5Gardens of the dead,
6Gardeners and gardening,
7Plants of the ancient world,
8Gardens in ancient poetry,
9Gardens and paradises. I
was a little disappointed with the brevity
of Chapter 8, apart from the art of gardening
itself, poetry probably best expresses
the ephemeral nature and magical qualities
of gardens better than most other art
forms. For those ardent travellers there
is even a short section listing replanted
gardens to visit, particularly in Great
Britain and on the Continent.
The connection between humans and plants
for food is obvious; however, the pure
joy and happiness that "messing about
in gardens" has brought people of all
cultures, and continues to bring many
of us, is rather mysterious. The old saying,
"One is nearer to God in a garden than
anywhere else on earth" may give us a
clue. In my part of our global village
(Australia) a recent survey showed that
after family, the next most important
thing to Australians is their immediate
environment including gardens, parks and
so on. This is all well and good depending
on the status of the gardener. In the
ancient world garden designers were citizens
of high rank, quite often architects entrusted
by the ruler to create beautiful, productive
paradises. For the hapless labourers,
however, facing day after day of backbreaking
work, gardening may not have been quite
so pleasurable or satisfying (p. 80).
Much of Carrolls evidence for ancient
gardens comes from actual archaeological
excavations, the Pompeii ruins being one
of the richest sources. Findings from
these sites combined with the more traditional
references to gardens found in tomb, wall,
and vase paintings and written sources
have helped fill in much of the mystery
of these ancient earthly paradises.
A delightful book for all interested in
gardens and essential for all students
of ancient history and "garden archaeology".