1) Agricultural Revolution Flashcards
Why settle near water?
Fishing; abundant food source, often undangerous
Why agriculture?
We don’t really know
Larger population, settle in one place
There are other ways to get more food
Once you start, can’t really stop
May lead to inequality - but not guaranteed to
“nasty, brutish, and short”
Thomas Hobbes; describing the “State of Nature” thought experiment - not likely the case
Pros of Herding
Food, drink, and shelter
Cons of Herding
Constant moving
Requires certain animals - none of which are from the Americas (except llamas) - sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, horses, cames, reindeer, water buffalo, yak
Define agriculture
Process of domesticating plants to grow as a food source for humans
Advantages of Agriculture
good crops = less starvation
potential food surplus - allows for larger specialization/projects
can be done anywhere with soil and a water source
Disadvantages of Agriculture
often have to radically change the environment
takes lots of labor - to the point that humans enslave others to do it
can lack nutritional diversity
famine, drought
Why agriculture?
We don’t really know
Larger population, settle in one place
There are other ways to get more food
Once you start, can’t really stop
May lead to inequality - but not guaranteed to
