Agriculture is an economic branch that provides food to the population through growing plants and livestock. At the dawn of humankind, people obtained food through gathering and hunting and then switched to the development of farming methods – this phenomenon is called Neolithic Revolution. Historians have developed several theories about the reasons why many communities preferred settled agriculture over hunting and gathering. Despite the advantages of old methods of finding food and the disadvantages of agriculture, the transition could occur due to the human factor.
Several theories are suggesting what exactly became the causes of the Neolithic revolution. According to Oasis Theory, after the Ice Age, people united with animals near water sources (“Environmental archaeology,” n.d.). Following Braidwood, who disagreed with the first theory, people naturally came to an understanding of how to use new sources of food and developed ways to domesticate plants and animals (“Environmental archaeology,” n.d.). However, some evidence indicates that the transition took place after the appearance of the first settled societies. In this case, the Neolithic Revolution’s reasons could be the need for controlled food sources and the need to get more. Thus, the transition to agriculture could occur for social reasons.
The development of agriculture took place through the domestication of animals and plants. Domestication is a process when through a selection made by man, organisms – plants and animals – change their qualities; for example, they give more fruits. As a result, domesticated species depended on humans and their efforts to grow them. In this way, people refused foraging and hunting in favor of production. Scientists can learn how exactly people ate with archaeological findings, in particular, elements present in bones and other remains (Kelly & Thomas, 2013). Based on these pieces, they build theories about the relationship of people with nature.
The transition to agriculture, mainly growing grain, was a long process and was followed by significant achievements of people in engineering, science, and other spheres. However, scientists wonder why this transition occurred because more and more arguments indicate that this change led to a lower quality of life (Martin & Wadley, 2000). For example, hunters and gatherers worked less and only for themselves, and in agriculture, there were long working days and the need to work for the common good. Moreover, in settlements that developed faster due to agriculture, diseases spread more quickly. Nevertheless, people chose to create a society and develop with the help of agriculture.
The suggestions about the social origin of agriculture provide the basis for several more theories. For example, food supplies that could be done through domestication could serve as a demonstration of power. Martin and Wadley (2000) proposed another interesting theory explaining people’s choice in favor of agriculture. Scientists believe that food obtained from domestication, particularly cereals and milk, caused addiction (Martin & Wadley, 2000). This effect was possible thanks to exorphins – opioid substances in food. Behavioral changes caused by these elements forced people to abandon the old lifestyle in favor of the new – more uncomfortable. Exorphins have made people more calm and tolerant of a sedentary lifestyle, long hours of work, and the establishment of a hierarchy in social relations.
Various properties of new food sources, in addition to saturation, could push people to choose agriculture. For example, an assumption made by Kahn (2013) suggests people were forced to cultivate grain due to the desire to move away from strict social laws and instincts, which served as a protective mechanism. Beer was made on the basis of fermented grain, and allowed people to be less afraid and be more open to communication and revealing new ideas. Thus, the transition to agriculture is not just a natural path of development but a choice that people have made.
In conclusion, the Neolithic Revolution is the transition from hunting and foraging to production – agriculture. It is a critical process that has determined the directions for the development of the human economy. Scientists constantly find new archaeological artifacts, which allow building theories about how this transition took place. More and more evidence suggests that agriculture is a human choice, not a natural step of development. In particular, this is evidenced by the fact that gathering and hunting were more convenient – they took less time and allowed to take care of only our own needs. Agriculture, in turn, required oppression of own desires and long hard work. Theories about what forced people to make such a choice also differ – from changing behavior due to opioid substances in food to a desire to demonstrate power.
References
Environmental archaeology and the problem of the domestication of plants and animals. (n.d.). [PowerPoint slides].
Kahn, J. P. (2013). How beer gave us civilization. New York Times. Web.
Kelly, R. & Thomas, D. (2013). People, plants, and animals in the past. In Archaeology: Down to Earth (5th ed.) (pp. 132-150). Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc.
Martin, A., & Wadley, G. (2000). The origins of agriculture-a biological perspective and a new hypothesis. Journal of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, 19(1), 3-12. Web.