Origins of Food Production

Origins of Food Production

Origins of Food ProductionWhy did Domestication Occur?Where and When did Domestication Occur? Consequences of Domestication

Origins of Food Production

Shift from food gathering to food production in different parts of the world.

– People began to practice cultivation of plants. Deliberate collecting of seeds for planting. Tame wild animals

People began to rely on certain plants or animals Artificial selection-people encourage the reproduction of certain

plants or animals.– gradually results in types of plants and animals that are distinct from

Wild species-Domestication-the process of establishing human control over a plant or animals ) reproduction, humans select mates for animals with certain characteristics.

How do we recognize this archaeologically?

Plants– Domesticated plants have stronger stem areas

where the seeds attach.– Also tend to have larger edible parts (page 160 in

book).

Charred remains

Crops Origins

Vegetables

Fruit Origins

How do we recognize this archaeologically?

Animals – Species outside native area, Horses not native to Egypt, but

found there archaeologically around 4,000 years ago.– Morphological changes-shape and size of goat horns

(wild=long and curved, domestic=short and round). Dogs-retain juvenile traits.

– Measurements-animals at first tend to get smaller during domestication,

– Sex ratios and age profiles-Less males when using herd animals for milk. Meat profiles-usually young animals.

– Cultural Evidence-captive animals portrayed in artwork, burial of whole animals with people or by themselves.

Dog 28,000 B.C.Belgium

Earliest

Animal Domestication

Domestics & Wild Counterparts

Why did Domestication Occur?

Today we take food production for granted-go to the supermarket and get whatever we want.

Hunting and gathering actually takes less time and effort than food production.

– *i.e. soil has to be worked, crops planted, pests controlled, harvested and processed while hunter gatherers, such as San Bushmen of Africa, only spend 12-19 hours per week on food gathering.

Agriculture is risky-could have crops die due to weather conditions.

“Pull” Theories

Oasis Theory-– V. Gordon Childe suggested that the climate at the end of the

Pleistocene forced people to change strategy. Severe droughts forced people to move to isolated fertile areas called oases. Here they had to maximize area to produce food.

Readiness Hypothesis-– Robert Braidwood suggested that humans became increasingly

familiar with plants and animals around them and began to domesticate them. But, no real evidence and he doesn't explain how. Human Selection and Environment-Particular local conditions may have affected different patterns of domestication.

Coevolution-– David Rindos suggests humans unintentionally promoted dispersal

of certain types of plants by weeding, storing, irrigating particular wild resources. As these plants became more common reliance on them increased.

“Push” Theories

Population Models-– Esther Boserup's idea that societies will intensify food

production only when forced to by population pressure on resources.

Demographic Stress-– Lewis Binford linked increasing pop pressure to

environmental change. – When sea levels rose, coastal people moved inland and led

to population pressure on groups already there, so needed to cultivate to produce enough food.

Population Growth-– Mark Cohen hypothesized that human populations had

spread to all areas of the world, and they used all the available food resources, continued pop growth caused the need to produce more food.

Where and When did Domestication Occur?

Occurred Worldwide independently and involved many different species!

Southwest Asia-Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran-Fertile Crescent.

– Natufians-best known southwest asians to cultivate wild grains and cereal grasses. 13-14,000 ya.

Around 11,000 years ago farming communities emerged, such as Jericho and subsisted on wheat, barley, peas, beans, lentils, sheep, goats, pigs and cattle.

Jericho

http://www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_agrev/7-Social-Consequences/socialcons1.html


Europe-Mediterranean to Sweden, nw Russia. – Many agricultural products introduced from sw

asia, but in some areas agricultural developed gradually and became well established by 6,000 ya.


East Asia-China, Thailand. – Domestication of root crops such as yams around

11,000 years ago (vegiculture-dividing and replanting live plants).

– Rice cultivation as early as 9,000 years ago, also pig, dog and chicken.


Africa-– 8,000 years ago semipermanent settlements in

Nile River Valley,– domestication of emmer wheat, flax, lentils,

chickpeas, sheep and goats.


New World– Mesoamerica-domestication of maize, chilis,

avocados and gourds by 7,000 years ago.– South America-manioc, maize and beans,

peanuts and potatoes around 6,500 years ago.– North America-domestication of starchy and oily

seeds around 4,000 years ago, maize, squash and beans by 1,000 years ago.

Consequences

Population Growth– Domestication caused food supplies to become

more stable and reliable.– More food poor acre of land, so can support

larger population.

*i.e. Paleolithic pop=30 million, 2,000 years ago=300 million, today=6 billion.

Urban Living


Consequences

Health and Nutrition– Not necessarily improve quality of life.– Closer contact with people, so easier spread of

disease.– Same unvarying diet, poorer nutrition.

*i.e. increase in dental caries (cavities).

Consequences

Increasing Mental/Cultural Complexity and Social Stratification– Increase in quantity and types of artifacts, trade.– Sophisticated material culture, innovations in

transportation (wheels), more durable buildings.– Shift from Egalitarian to stratified societies.– Full-time craft specialists, etc.– Religious/Elite

Emergence of Elites

Sargon I of Akkad


Documents

Origins of Food Production