The Origins of Farming

Definitions Farming: The domestication of plants and animals for human purposes Domestication: The control of plant and animal species for human benefit Q: What were the consequences for plants and animals? A: They switched from being naturally selected to culturally selected Q: What plants or animals have we NOT been able to domesticate?

What Needs to Happen for Farms to Work? Settlements-need people nearby to work on the farm, so homes are built Food-processing technologies: planting seeds, sowing and harvesting crops with special tools, grain has to be ground into flour, etc. Investment in landscape: Irrigation ditches, fences, cut down trees, soil needs tilling and fertilization, etc. Sense of pride in property: People invest a lot so they have a more developed sense of property

Plant Domestication Split into 2 groups and answer one of the following questions: What do we get from plants? What do we not get from plants (that we need)?

Plant Domestication Domesticated plants being harvested are bigger than their wild predecessors. Example: Corn on the Cob! Most domesticated plant species are easier to harvest than their wild predecessors. Example: We select for seeds that are easier to separate from the plant. What must farmers do to protect their crop, for example grain?

Animal Domestication In order to make it worth your money to domesticate animals, they must have: A relatively good disposition with humans A short life span with large numbers of children A flexible diet, because they must eat whatever you give them Smaller horns and other dangerous structures A little smaller than their wild counterparts so that the offspring are easier to handle

Horticulture Horticuluture: Many different definitions, but it is basically a low-intensity form of domestication, and generally refers to farming on a smaller scale, with simpler technologies -Many refer to it as gardening, rather than intensive seeding and harvesting Horticulture preceded farming, but in many areas, it is still thriving today.

Horticulture vs. Farming Uses digging sticks Farm small plots and use simple irrigation. Domesticate plants that do not require long term storage Uses plows driven by power or animals Farm large areas of land Domesticate plants on a large-scale that require long-term storage

Slashing and Burning Slashing and burning is also known as shifting horticulture. It is the practice of clearing heavily vegetated land to make an agricultural field This land is then used from 1-5 years for harvest, and then you burn off the stubble You let the land lie for several years, as you move onto another section of land that has previously been used. Why would you do this?

Farming More intense Larger-scale Domestication of plants and animals Practiced by people living in civilizations Also referred to as State Farming

How Else is State Farming Different? It is intensified: larger fields, more crops, more technology It is systematized: the state regulates units of measure, approval of crops, and takes a cut in the form of taxes! It is economically integrated: the activities of the state and the citizens must adjust to accommodate the farming schedule It is commodified: farmers do not only grow staple foods, but also grow cash crops for export

Location Domesticated Animal Domestication Animal Location Domesticated Date Dog East Asia 15,000 BC Sheep Western Asia and East 10, 000 BC Cat Fertile Crescent Before 9,000 BC Goat Pig Be 9,000 BC Cattle 8, 000 BC Guinea Pig Peru 3, 000 BC Chicken South Asia Horse Central Asia 5, 000 BC Llama Donkey Egypt Bactrian Camel Dromedary Camel Saudi Arabia Yak East central Asia Reindeer Northwest Asia (Siberia) Turkey Mexico 2, 500 BC

Farming Facilities and Tools Granaries: for sorting harvested vegetal matter, such as dried grain Ovens: for cooking food Food-production yards: areas for separating seeds from plant cells, etc.

Early Farming Tools Sickles: for harvesting plant matter, blades made of stone, bone, or antler Pottery: for storage and cooking vegetal foods Mortar and pestle: for grinding/pounding vegetal foods to small pieces or powder Threshing tools: for separating the seeds from the plant Axes: for clearing forested areas to convert it to farmland

Secondary Products After humans started domesticating plants and animals for food, they started to domesticate them for secondary products as well Secondary products: non-food resources Can you think of any secondary products we get from plants?

Secondary Products Fibers-to make wool and cotton Machine-pulling and transportation-use the animals to help you on the farm! Plant tissue-to make writing paper Plant extracts-to make medicines, adhesives, pigments, etc. Milk-to make butter or cheese, does not require killing the animal, so its considered secondary Blood-animal blood has nutritional value: The Maasi of Eastern Africa mix it with milk to make a rich froth

Why Farm in the First Place? The population pressure theory argues that as populations increased after the ice ages, population pressures forced people to devise new ways of making a living. However, foraging populations are very careful not to allow their populations to grow to a size that the landscape can not sustain. The climate change theory argues that as climates changed after the last ice age, humans invented new ways to survive, including a shift from foraging to domesticating. However, this theory still does not explain why they invented it...

In the East The world’s first domestication seems to have taken place in a region called the Fertile Crescent of the Near East, from Israel up to Turkey, across to Iraq. This was about 12, 000 years ago. They domesticated wheat and barley, and goats and sheep (rather than antelope and deer) Eventually, they domesticated wheat, barley, peas, chickpeas, lentils, fava beans, carrots, beets, safflower, olives, figs, and dates.

In Africa The domestication of plants, and some animals, occurred in Africa about 7,000-10,000 years ago. They domesticated wheat, wild aurochs into cattle, sorghum, millet, tef, cow pea, oil parms, watermelon, and okra.

In East Asia People were cultivating wild rice 9,000 years ago Today, rice supplies about 20% of the world’s calories Also domesticated pigs, chickens, cattle, dogs, and ducks Plants include apricots, peaches, cucumbers, sesame, radishes, turnips, canola, tea, and water chestnuts

In the Western Pacific By 10,000 years ago, the people of New Guinea were cultivating several plants, including taro and bananas. Major Western Pacific domesticates include breadfruit, yam, coconut, banana, dogs, pigs, chickens, grapefruit, mango, lemon, cloves, and arrowroot

In the Americas First domesticated corn, squash, and sunflowers 10,000 years ago. Agriculture in Mexico is only 5,000 to 7,000 years old Other domesticates in the Americas include llamas, turkeys, beans, peppers, mint, chiles, and the potato (which was taken back to the “Old World” after conquistadores discovered it in the 16th century