10.2 Early Agricultural Societies Worldwide

Early agricultural societies marked a pivotal shift in human history. They introduced sedentism, domestication, social stratification, and surplus production, fundamentally changing how people lived and interacted.

These societies developed independently across the globe, each with unique crop and animal domesticates. From wheat in the Fertile Crescent to maize in Mesoamerica, these innovations sparked social, economic, and technological advancements that shaped our world.

Early Agricultural Societies

Characteristics of early agricultural societies

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• Sedentism involves the establishment of permanent settlements leading to increased population density in a given area
• Domestication encompasses the cultivation of crops through selective breeding and the practice of animal husbandry to manage livestock
• Social stratification marks the emergence of social hierarchies with specialized roles and division of labor based on factors such as wealth, status, and occupation
• Surplus production allows for the storage of food and resources beyond immediate needs enabling trade and exchange networks between communities

Crop and animal domesticates by region

• Fertile Crescent (Southwest Asia)
  • Crops: wheat (einkorn, emmer), barley, lentils, peas
  • Animals: sheep, goats, cattle (aurochs), pigs
• China
  • Crops: rice (Oryza sativa), millet (Setaria italica), soybeans (Glycine max)
  • Animals: pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
• Mesoamerica
  • Crops: maize (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), squash (Cucurbita pepo)
  • Animals: turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)
• Andes
  • Crops: potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), maize (Zea mays)
  • Animals: llamas (Lama glama), alpacas (Vicugna pacos), guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Innovations from agricultural rise

• Social innovations
  1. Development of complex societies with increased population, specialization, and hierarchy
  2. Emergence of social classes and hierarchies based on access to resources and power
• Economic innovations
  1. Intensification of production to generate surplus beyond subsistence needs
  2. Specialization of labor into distinct occupations (farmers, artisans, traders)
  3. Establishment of long-distance trade networks to exchange goods and ideas (Silk Roads)
• Technological innovations
  1. Construction of irrigation systems to manage water resources for agriculture (canals, reservoirs)
  2. Invention of plows and other agricultural tools to increase efficiency and yields
  3. Production of pottery and storage vessels to preserve and transport food surpluses
  4. Development of metallurgy to create tools, weapons, and prestige goods (copper, bronze)

Comparative Analysis

Old World vs New World agriculture

• Similarities
  • Independent origins of agriculture in multiple regions around the world
  • Domestication of local plant and animal species adapted to specific environments
  • Development of sedentary lifestyles centered around permanent settlements
  • Emergence of complex societies with social stratification and specialization
• Differences
  • Timing of agricultural origins
    • Old World: began around 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent and spread to other regions
    • New World: started independently around 8,000 years ago in Mesoamerica and the Andes
  • Domesticated species
    • Old World: focused on grains (wheat, barley, rice), and herd animals (cattle, sheep, goats)
    • New World: relied on starchy crops (maize, potatoes) and smaller animals (llamas, turkeys)
  • Environmental contexts
    • Old World: agriculture developed in temperate and semi-arid regions (Fertile Crescent, China)
    • New World: agriculture emerged in tropical and highland regions (Mesoamerica, Andes)