Ways of the World: A Brief Global History First Edition CHAPTER 2 First Farmers: The Revolutions of Agriculture 10,000 B.C.E. –3000 B.C.E. Copyright © 2009 by Bedford/St. Martin’s Robert W. Strayer

Discussion Starter: During the Neolithic period, would you have preferred to live in a(n) a. agricultural village society? b. chiefdom society? c. gatherer-hunter society? d. pastoral society?

The Agricultural Revolution in World History

Comparing Agricultural Beginnings

Common Patterns

Comparison: When one compares the emergence of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia to the same process in Mesoamerica, the most striking similarity is that both a. succeeded in domesticating a set of large animals that proved useful for their milk, fur, meat, and muscle power. b. developed crops independently that later spread to other regions. c. occurred at about the same time. d. relied heavily on cereal grains as their main crops, unlike other regions of the world where the main crop was maize.

Variations

Connection: All EXCEPT which of the following is a true statement about the spread of agriculture from the various regions where it originated? a. In some cases agriculture diffused through a gradual spread of the techniques, animals, and crops of agriculture. b. In some cases agriculture spread through migration of agricultural peoples who upon arrival displaced or absorbed gatherer-hunter populations. c. The spread of agriculture was sometimes accompanied by the spread of languages. d. Sometimes agriculture disappeared entirely from the region where it originated but continued to thrive elsewhere.

The Globalization of Agriculture

Change: Nearly everywhere that the agricultural revolution took place a. diets and health conditions of humans immediately improved. b. people enjoyed lifestyles that required less work to produce the same amount of food. c. the population grew as did the density of settlement. d. people became less vulnerable to famine.

Triumph and Resistance

The Culture of Agriculture

Social Variation in the Age of Agriculture

Pastoral Societies

Agricultural Village Societies

Discussion Starter: For you, which of the following developments associated with humans settling down to an agricultural lifestyle was most revolutionary? a. Living in larger communities and permanent settlements b. The work regime required in an agricultural lifestyle c. The explosion in technological innovation d. The emergence of a more defined social structure

Chiefdoms

Chapter 2 First Farmers: The Revolutions in Agriculture, 10,000 B.C.E. –3000 B.C.E. Map 2.1 The Fertile Crescent (p. 40) Map 2.2 The Global Spread of Agriculture (p. 44) Spot Map 2.1 Bantu Migrations (p. 46) Chinese Neolithic Pottery (p. 34) Teosinte and Maize/Corn (p. 42) Women and Weaving (p. 48) The Domestication of Animals (p. 49) Çatalhüyük (p. 50) Cahokia (p. 52)

Discussion Starter: Taken as a whole, do you think the Agricultural Revolution was a good thing? a. The Agricultural Revolution represented progress. b. The Agricultural Revolution did not represent progress.