Origins of Agriculture
Broad Spectrum Revolution
• Around 15,000 years ago
• recession of glaciers
• warming of the climate
• change in human subsistence away from big game hunting to a broad range of foods
foragers
• Foraging: subsistence strategy based upon gathering wild plants, hunting wild animals, fishing and shellfish collecting.
• For 99% of hominid history, we were foragers
Food Production
• By 10,000 ya, food production had begun in the Middle East
• Food production (agriculture): human control over the reproduction of plants and animals
• Domestication: the modification of wild plants and animals
– Human selection
– Deliberate or accidental
• Domesticate: the plant or animal that is modified by human selection
– Examples: wheat, goats
Transition to Food Production
• The transition to food production occurred at different times in different parts of the world
• At each location, different plants and animals were domesticated
• The transition in each location was unique
• Neolithic- cultural period that begins with domestication
• At least seven independent inventions of food production:
-Middle East: Around 10,000 ya, wild wheat and barley were plentiful.
– Sub-Saharan Africa: 11,000-9,000 ya, cattle, Sorghum, millet, peanuts, yams, Donkey, guinea fowl
– Northern and Southern China
– Mesoamerica
– Andes of South America
– Eastern United States
Transition to Food Production - Middle East
• Around 10,000 ya, wild wheat and barley were plentiful.
• People could remain in the same location and support themselves by gathering wild cereals.
• Sedentism: sedentary (settled) life in villages
• Population density increased
• Settlements expanded out of the areas with the most abundant resources into marginal zones
• Here people may have begun cultivating wheat plants
• Wild sheep and goats grazed on the stubble from harvested wheat
• Humans domesticated these wild animals
• The plants and animals changed genetically
• Over time, agriculture became the primary subsistence pattern
Transition to Food Production - Sub-Saharan Africa
• Earliest domesticates: cattle
– 11,000 – 9,000 ya
– used for milk and blood products, not killed for food
• Other early African domesticates:
– Sorghum, millet, peanuts, yams, Donkey, guinea fowl
Transition to Food Production - Northern and Southern China
• By 7,500 years ago two independent domestications had occurred in China
• North China – foxtail millet
• South China – rice
• Other plants and animals followed: water buffalo, pigs, dogs
Origins of Agriculture in the New World
• Arrival of Humans in Western Hemisphere
• Arrival of humans from Northeastern Asia – c. 18000 ya.
• Crossed from Bering Straight, called Beringia.
Crossing made possible by low temps during the Pleistocene
- Sea level as much as 400 ft lower than current level.
Lower sea level exposed Beringia, enabling herds, then humans to cross.
Earliest Americans
• Paleoindians
• Hunters and gatherers
– Horses, camels, bison, mammoths, giant sloths
– Many now extinct
• Nomadic lifestyle
– Followed herds
• Eventually spread throughout N. America, Mesoamerica, and S. America
• Clovis Culture
– Distinct stone tool technology
– Fluted spear points
• Clovis people were very successful – population grew
• Big game animals began to disappear
– Excessive hunting
– Climate change - warmer
Agriculture in the New World
• 3 regions of development:
– Mesoamerica – c. 4700 BP
– South America – c. 4500 BP
– Northeastern America – c. 4500 BP
Early Animal Domestication
• South America
• Llama
– Largest animal domesticated in new world.
– Bred for meat, labor.
• Alpaca – wool
• Dog - companion.
• Guinea pigs, ducks
– Protein.
• Mesoamerica –
– Turkey
– Dog
• North America –
– Dog
• Importance of dog as companion found in burials.
• New world herding?
• No cattle, sheep or goats were domesticated in the new world.
• Unlike old world, no herding relationships between herders and farmers.
Botanical Domesticates
• Mesoamerica – 4,700 BP
– Maize, beans, squash
– “Three Sisters” of nutrition
– Plants grow well together and provide complete nutrition
– Botanical Domesticates
• South America – 4,500 BP
– Potato, beans, quinoa, manioc, cotton
• North America – 4,500 BP
– Goosefoot, Marsh elder, sunflower, squashtt
Spotlight on Maize
• Earliest domesticated maize dates to 5,000 ya in Mexico.
• Comes from teosinte, a wild grass still found in Mexico
• A few small genetic changes led to maize:
– More kernels, larger cobs, more cobs
Results of Higher Crop Yields
• Foodstores – Surplus can be created.
• Labor – Food production can enable larger labor forces to be accrued.
• Craft specializations develop, including pottery, astronomy, writing, military, cult.
• Social stratification begins, struggles for power develop.
Effects of Agriculture
• Urbanization.
• Surplus of labor and time.
– Craft specialization
– Technological innovations
• Need for storage locations/vessels.
• Social stratification.
• Higher standard of living.
Cost vs. Benefit of Agriculture
• Costs:
– More intensive labor
– Routine maintenance
– Reliance on water
– Creation of terraces
– Creation of corrals
– Public health declines
• Diets less varied, less nutritious
• Greater exposure to pathogens
• Benefits:
– Yields more reliable
– Higher yields
– Higher birth yield
– Technological innovations
– Trade and markets
– Urbanization
Worldwide Results
• Independent development of agriculture in various geographic regions at various times.
• Effects of agriculture are to varying degrees in differing locations.
• Each culture dealt with agriculture independently, with unique responses.
• Aided in the development of cultural diversity.
Langgan:
Catat Ulasan (Atom)
يتم الغسل الجيد للخزان بايدي عمال شركتنا الماهرين جدا و المدربين للقيام بهذه الخدمة و الذين بدورهم يقوموا باستخدام القفازات المستخدمة للتنظيف و ايضا نضارات حتي نضمن وقاية جميع العمال و انهم لن يصابوا باي ضرر اثناء القيام بخدمة تنظيف الخزانات في مدينة المدينة المنورة المدينة المنورة
BalasPadamشركة تنظيف الخزانات في المدينة المنورة
شركة غسيل خزانات بالمدينة المنورة
افضل خدمة لتنظيف الخزانات في مدينة المدينة المنورة
من خدماتنا:
أفضل الشركات لتركيب المكيفات في المدينة المنورة
تركيب مكيفات سبلت
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالمدينة المنورة
شبوك مزارع بالرياض
BalasPadamاسعار الشبوك
شبوك وسياج حديد
مقاول تركيب شبوك اراضي
شبوك أمنية بأجود المواصفات
شبوك شائكه