Chapter 2 - First Farmers
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7/29/2019 Chapter 2 - First Farmers http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chapter-2-first-farmers 1/2 1 Chapter 2: F ir st F armers 21 st century: 5% of Americans lived on farms 12,000 years ago: Neolithic (New Stone Age) or Agricultural Revolution deliberate cultivation of plants & taming/breeding of animals foundation of growing populations settlements, diseases, warfare, cities, states, civilizations, writing, literature humans actively changing nature: directing evolution, stamping landscape mutual dependence intensification: more food for less land separately & independently all b/n 12,000 & 4,000 years ago coincided w/ end of Ice Age & migration of Homo sapiens across planet loss of major food source (large mammals) warmer, wetter, & more stable conditions flourishing of wild plants (ancestors of domesticated crops) settling down, growing populations simple technology: digging stick/hoe Fertile Crescent: first to experience Agricultural Revolution wide variety of plants/animals capable of domestication only in Africa: animal domestication preceded domestication of plants Americas: domestication of teosinte into corn/maize technology moves north to south (v. east to west of Eurasia) extension of farming: diffusion: spread of techniques, plants, animals migration of agricultural people (conquest, absorption, or displacement) 6,500 to 4,000 B.C.E.: from Southwest Asia to Europe, Central Asia, Egypt, & North Africa Indo-European languages: originated in Turkey Chinese related language: Southeast Asia Bantu: in Africa, from Nigeria/Cameroon to near Kalahari desert Austronesians: from southern China to Philippine/Indonesian islands, Madagascar New Guinea: did not spread to Australia North America, arctic regions, southwestern Africa maintain hunting/gathering increase in population, greater productivity hard work deterioration in health, animal-borne diseases, first epidemics vulnerable to famine (crop failure, drought, catastrophes)
Transcript of Chapter 2 - First Farmers
7/29/2019 Chapter 2 - First Farmers
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chapter-2-first-farmers 1/2
1
Chapter 2: F irst Farmers
21st
century: 5% of Americans lived on farms
12,000 years ago: Neolithic (New Stone Age) or Agricultural Revolution
deliberate cultivation of plants & taming/breeding of animals
foundation of growing populations settlements, diseases, warfare, cities, states,
civilizations, writing, literature
humans actively changing nature: directing evolution, stamping landscape
mutual dependence
intensification: more food for less land
separately & independently all b/n 12,000 & 4,000 years ago
coincided w/ end of Ice Age & migration of Homo sapiens across planet
loss of major food source (large mammals)
warmer, wetter, & more stable conditions flourishing of wild plants (ancestors of domesticated crops)
settling down, growing populations
simple technology: digging stick/hoe
Fertile Crescent: first to experience Agricultural Revolution
wide variety of plants/animals capable of domestication
only in Africa: animal domestication preceded domestication of plants
Americas: domestication of teosinte into corn/maize
technology moves north to south (v. east to west of Eurasia)
extension of farming:
diffusion: spread of techniques, plants, animals
migration of agricultural people (conquest, absorption, or displacement)
6,500 to 4,000 B.C.E.: from Southwest Asia to Europe, Central Asia, Egypt, & North Africa
Indo-European languages: originated in Turkey
Chinese related language: Southeast Asia
Bantu: in Africa, from Nigeria/Cameroon to near Kalahari desert
Austronesians: from southern China to Philippine/Indonesian islands, Madagascar
New Guinea: did not spread to Australia North America, arctic regions, southwestern Africa maintain hunting/gathering
increase in population, greater productivity
hard work
deterioration in health, animal-borne diseases, first epidemics
vulnerable to famine (crop failure, drought, catastrophes)
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Banpo: ancient village in China
large central space
trench around village
diets supplemented w/ wild animals/plants
explosion of technological innovation: pots, weaving, metallurgy
4,000 B.C.E.: “second products revolution”
new uses for domesticated animals
milk, wool, manure
ride horses/camels, plows/carts
growing impact on environment : soil erosion, deforestation
animal husbandry: milk, meat, & blood of animals
herders, pastoralists, nomads
Central Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Sahara, eastern/southern Africa
mobile, kinship-based clan agricultural villages: equality, freedom, no politics
Catalhuyuk: Turkey
houses layer upon layer & adjacent (no streets)
specialized crafts, but little inequality
kinship groups/lineages (esp. in Africa)
perform role of government
Tiv of central Nigeria
modest social & economic inequalities (e.g. Igbo)
w/o full time rulers
chiefdoms:
inherited positions of power
could seldom use force to compel obedience
relied on generosity, gift giving, ritual status, or personal charisma
e.g. Mesopotamia, Pacific islands, North America (Cahokia)
