ME 2:1 Flashcards
Define agricultural revolution
The human population was able to grow faster as people in fertile areas settled down and domesticated plants and animals instead of hunting and gathering.
What remained the basic way of life for most of human history according to the authors?
Foraging
Horticulture vs. Agriculture
Horticulture occurs on a much smaller scale and level of organization than agriculture.
Why do some prehistorians believe women were the first to cultivate crops?
Since women were mostly responsible for gathering plant materials among foragers, they might have been the first to plant seed and grow crops.
Codependent domestication
Occurred when humans shifted to agriculture and domesticated crops, as the crops also domesticated the humans so they spent time spreading certain crops around the world.
Describe the effects of pastoralism on human development
It allowed people to live more independently and increased their contact with animals and their feces, increasing their contact with disease-causing pathogens. The diseases remained endemic and it helped them to build resistance.
How did the domestication of large animals impact human ways of life?
It provided people with greater carrying and pulling capacity and reduced the time and (human) labor spent on certain tasks. It also allowed people to farm more efficiently, increasing surplus and job specialization and thus the interdependency of households through trade.
Why is the term “agricultural revolution” misleading? Why is the term appropriate?
It implies that it was sudden when it was really a gradual change. However, it’s appropriate in marking a major change in the course of human history.
