World History Lecture Notes
9/19/12
Farming and Emergence of Complex Societies * Farming and complex societies are the result of change * One of major changes is reflected in this frieze on a wall in Mesopotamia -reflects domestication of animals and plants – was a monumental change – resulted in a new way of living we know as farming – included pastoralism * Development of farming communities – a major change – started to be accompanied by a wall structure * Between about 12,000 and 1,000 BCE – Appeared independently * Prior to farming, population size in any one area was limited by the availability of wild game, grain, berries, seeds, and nuts. * Farming and the large, relatively dependable crops provides allowed for population intensification * Started to be able to produce surplus food for once – all of society doesn’t have to grow food or tend animals. They can take on other tasks and specialize in different things – lead to priests, nobles, kings, queens, etc. – known as “job specialization” * Domestication of Plants and animals > Farming > Population intensification, surplus food, specialization > Complex society known as civilization.
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What is Jerrod Diamond’s thesis? * Studies birds * -------------------------------------------------
“Why do you white men have so much cargo and we New Guineans have so little?” * -------------------------------------------------
They weren’t less talented then other farmers. Their crops can’t be stored, low in protein, harder to plant (one by one.) * -------------------------------------------------
Type of farming is crucial to being productive * -------------------------------------------------
Americans have advantage for centuries because we grow crops more nutritious * -------------------------------------------------
Used domesticated animals for milk, fur for clothes, and meat. *
Farming and Emergence of Complex Societies * Farming and complex societies are the result of change * One of major changes is reflected in this frieze on a wall in Mesopotamia -reflects domestication of animals and plants – was a monumental change – resulted in a new way of living we know as farming – included pastoralism * Development of farming communities – a major change – started to be accompanied by a wall structure * Between about 12,000 and 1,000 BCE – Appeared independently * Prior to farming, population size in any one area was limited by the availability of wild game, grain, berries, seeds, and nuts. * Farming and the large, relatively dependable crops provides allowed for population intensification * Started to be able to produce surplus food for once – all of society doesn’t have to grow food or tend animals. They can take on other tasks and specialize in different things – lead to priests, nobles, kings, queens, etc. – known as “job specialization” * Domestication of Plants and animals > Farming > Population intensification, surplus food, specialization > Complex society known as civilization.
________________________________________________________________________
What is Jerrod Diamond’s thesis? * Studies birds * -------------------------------------------------
“Why do you white men have so much cargo and we New Guineans have so little?” * -------------------------------------------------
They weren’t less talented then other farmers. Their crops can’t be stored, low in protein, harder to plant (one by one.) * -------------------------------------------------
Type of farming is crucial to being productive * -------------------------------------------------
Americans have advantage for centuries because we grow crops more nutritious * -------------------------------------------------
Used domesticated animals for milk, fur for clothes, and meat. *