Effects of Agriculture
The Effect of Agriculture Rewrite
Bailey Basinger
AIM Global Humanities/English I (H)
Mr. TenBarge
April 29th, 2012
Because it was tremendously essential for survival, had a monumental impact immediately on society and continues to affect us even to this day, agriculture was the most influential development of the early civilizations. The people of the first civilizations needed agriculture because it was an easy, more efficient way of obtaining food. The early peoples had to hunt and gather their food, and, “Hunting depended on the careful observation of behavioral patterns” (Duiker, W.J. & Spielvogel, J.J. 2001).It must have been challenging to always be moving and searching, just so they could find food that day. However, deciding to stop and grow food, in one reachable convenient location, would have solved the issue of having to go through all the extra steps of hunting down animals. After a long time of humans living successfully in the Old Stone Age, and ice age occurred cause a devastating drought, which killed off most of the vegetation. “All living things started clustering around sources such as lakes and river” (Howe, H., & Howe, R.T. 1992). Because all living things clustered around water sources, there was more competition, human and non-human alike, for the already diminished food supply. Naturally, the people of the early civilizations would need to grow their own food in order to sustain their population. Shortly after farming’s conception many life-changing discoveries, like trade, were made. “Some people became artisan, made weapons, and jewelry that were traded with neighbors” (Duiker, W.J. & Spielvogel, J.J. 2001). When people started to farm they began producing more food then they need. These food surpluses allowed people to do other things with their time such as, make weapons and jewelry that could in turn be traded for other people’s goods. The change to farming also immediately affected the relationships
Bailey Basinger
AIM Global Humanities/English I (H)
Mr. TenBarge
April 29th, 2012
Because it was tremendously essential for survival, had a monumental impact immediately on society and continues to affect us even to this day, agriculture was the most influential development of the early civilizations. The people of the first civilizations needed agriculture because it was an easy, more efficient way of obtaining food. The early peoples had to hunt and gather their food, and, “Hunting depended on the careful observation of behavioral patterns” (Duiker, W.J. & Spielvogel, J.J. 2001).It must have been challenging to always be moving and searching, just so they could find food that day. However, deciding to stop and grow food, in one reachable convenient location, would have solved the issue of having to go through all the extra steps of hunting down animals. After a long time of humans living successfully in the Old Stone Age, and ice age occurred cause a devastating drought, which killed off most of the vegetation. “All living things started clustering around sources such as lakes and river” (Howe, H., & Howe, R.T. 1992). Because all living things clustered around water sources, there was more competition, human and non-human alike, for the already diminished food supply. Naturally, the people of the early civilizations would need to grow their own food in order to sustain their population. Shortly after farming’s conception many life-changing discoveries, like trade, were made. “Some people became artisan, made weapons, and jewelry that were traded with neighbors” (Duiker, W.J. & Spielvogel, J.J. 2001). When people started to farm they began producing more food then they need. These food surpluses allowed people to do other things with their time such as, make weapons and jewelry that could in turn be traded for other people’s goods. The change to farming also immediately affected the relationships
Bibliography: Duiker, W.J. & Spielvogel, J.J., (2001) Third Edition World History Comprehensive Volume. assBelmont, CA: Thomson Learning, Inc. Howe, H., & Howe, R.T., (1992) A World History. White Plains, NY: Longman