Post on 06-Apr-2018
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
1/39
LECTURE 8- CIVILIZATION AND
DOMESTICATIONANT 210
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
2/39
TRANSITION
Through the Paleolithic, all peoplewere hunting and gathering.
Around 12kya there was a major
climate shift:
Glaciers began melting (shrinking) Frozen tundra began thawing and turning
into forests
Large herd animals began to disappear
This is due to several factors
y 1) They ate those tundra grasses that are
now gone!
y 2) People were still hunting them, and
there are more people now!
y 3) Animals with thick, woolly coats dont
do well in warmer climates!
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
3/39
y Peoples diet shifted to more plant
foods, fish, small game, etc. This required new technology
y Large mammoth hunting spears dont
work well for fishing, catching rabbits,
etc.
y We start seeing small tools called
microliths. These were attached to
arrows, harpoons, etc.
y People became more sedentary.
Instead of travelling from North Carolina
to Florida during the course of a year,
they were only traveling from Western
North Carolina to Eastern NorthCarolina, or just around different parts
of the Carolinas.
This means they could stay in one place
longer ( a few months instead of a few
weeks)
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
4/39
THE NEOLITHIC
Between 10 and 12 kya we see the beginning of anew time period- the Neolithic.
The Neolithic is characterized by food production
y We are no longer just gathering food, we are
producingit!y This switch to agriculture at this time is called the
Neolithic RevolutionNeolithic Revolution
It is a revolution because it fundamentally changed human
life and culture.
Go to http://www.ditext.com/diamond/mistake.html and
read this short article.(Youll have to copy and paste the
link into your browser)
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
5/39
NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION
The first area to start moving to agriculture wasSouthwest Asia (the Middle East) in an areacalled the Fertile Crescent.
By 10kya we find domesticated animals in Israel,Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq and Iran.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
6/39
DOMESTICATION
Agriculture requires domestication DomesticationDomestication is the modification of the genetic
makeup of a population so that it is unable to
survive or reproduce without human assistance.
y Some examples:
Without humans, how would modern chickens protect
themselves from predators?
Without human assistance (artificial insemination) many
cows and pigs would be unable to reproduce (they are just
too big).
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
7/39
Both plants and animals were domesticated.
Everything you eat today (except for foods youhunted and killed and some fish) is domesticated,
but used to be wild!
Unfortunately, the wild versions of these foods
were not suitable for feeding large populations.
y The animals had horns, tusks, sharp teeth, and bad
tempers and the plants had thorns, toxins, tough
shells, and a tendency to fall apart if you touched
them or the wind blew too hard.
So, we (humans) selectively reproduced plants
and animals to get rid of these undesirable
traits and to encourage larger, tastier parts that
are easier to access.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
8/39
Example:y You read in Hobby Farm magazine that you could
make a lot of money raising sheep, by selling wool
and meat. To do this, you need sheep that are big andmeaty and have lots of wool. You take the money thatyour grandmother left you in her will and by a smallpiece of land. You have just enough left over to buysome sheep, but you dont know much about sheep.So, you take half the money you have left and go to alivestock auction where you pick up 6 sheep. Thesesheep come back to your farm and do what sheep do:eat, get out of their fences and reproduce. You noticethat some of the baby sheep are not very woolly orvery fat (meaty). So you decide to sell those and justkeep the woolly and fat ones. These woolly, fat onesare the ones you let breed next year. At this yearsauction, you know a little bit more about sheep andare able to pick up some woollier, fatter sheep to add
to your flock. After a few years of selling off thescrawny, not woolly ones and only breeding thewoolly fat ones, you have a flock of sheep that areperfect for selling both wool and meat!
y You have selectively reproduced the animals to getthe characteristics you wanted: woolly and fat.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
9/39
DOMESTICATION
Domestication occurred in different parts of the
world and different plants and animals weredomesticated in different places.
Here are a couple of domesticates and the places
in which they were domesticated.
Youll notice that some things (like dogs) were
domesticated in several different areas.
Africa Middle East Europe Asia N. Amer. S. Amer.
millet barley dogs rice squash potatos
sorghum wheat goats millet gourds chili peppers
rice sheep horse water chestnuts maize (corn) llama
goats goats cattle chickens turkeys alpaca
cats pigs sheep horse sunflowers maize
cattle cattle barley camels dogs ducks
yams donkeys dogs bees squash
sheep camels pigs peppers cotton
lentils cattle beans beans
dogs gourds
guinea pigs
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
10/39
What evidence do we have fordomestication?
y
The archaeological remains show us thatthere was:An increase in the size of edible parts
Loss of natural seed dispersal (this means thewheat holds on to its grains when the windblows, instead of sending the grains flying
everywhere) Loss of husks
Loss of delayed seed germination ( we can getour domesticated plants to grow in greenhousesyear round, but wild plants will only grow whenthe weather tells them to)
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
11/39
Loss of tusks, horns and sharp teeth
Check out some of these comparisons between domesticated
organisms and their wild relatives.
domesticatedwild
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
12/39
domesticated wild
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
13/39
wild
domesticated
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
14/39
On this side,
teosinte, the
wild grassthat was the
beginning of
corn.
On this side, maize
(corn).
In the middle,
a hybrid cross
of the two.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
15/39
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
16/39
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
17/39
How did domestication happen? What made
people decide to switch to agriculture?
We know what didntdidnt cause it:y It was not the result of discoveries
Hunters and gatherers know more about plant and animal
behavior, habitat, growth, etc., than even farmers do!
y It was not to have easier work
Hunters and gatherers spend far less time working to getfood than farmers do and farming is HARD!
y It was not forfood security
In order to get enough of one crop to feed multiple people,
you have to spend all of your time and resources on very few
crops, so if you have a drought, late freeze, early frost,flooding, locusts or crop disease, you are in trouble!
Example: the reason the Irish Potato Famine killed so
many people (over a million people!) was because the
potato was their main crop and food source. When the
crop was wiped out, there was no food.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
18/39
SO, WHY?
Oasis theoryOasis theory
y First proposed by V. Gordon Childe
y
Says that as the glaciers retreated (melted) the rainpatterns shifted.
Previously wet areas became very dry.
People gathered at oases for water.
Food was scarce here, so people collected wild grasses andseeds that were growing around the oases.
They began to cultivate these grasses and seeds to provideenough food for the community.
Hungry animals cam to graze on these new grain fields anddrink the water.
People fattened up the animals to eat them, too.
y Not a bad theory but it has some problems.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
19/39
Demographic theoriesDemographic theories
y Proposed by Sauer, Binford and Flannery
y
Says that people began to settle down more The population grew as large as the environment would
support (it reached carrying capacity)
They needed more food, so they started gathering it,
planting it, and raising it.
y Also suggests several social and economic factors
encouraged this.
The Feasting ModelThe Feasting Model
y Proposed by Hayden
y Suggests people threw big feasts to display, and gain,
power These feasts needed large amounts of food
So, they started producing it
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
20/39
We dont really know which of these theories, if
any, are correct.
It may be that different things caused agricultureto develop in different areas.
y Perhaps in the Middle East, the Oasis Theory
explains it, while in Asia the Feasting Model is the
best explanation and in Central America the
Demographic theories are correct, or vice versa. What we DO know is when it happened and
where.
y People had domesticated
rye in the Fertile Crescent by 13kya
Squash in S. America by 10 kya
Rice in Thailand/ Korea by 8-5 kya
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
21/39
We also know the effects andconsequences of
this switch to agriculture.
y
Population sizes started increasing Was this because we could feed more people or because we
needed more people to work the fields, or both?
y People began having severe nutritional deficiencies
When you only eat one or two main foods, your body doesnt
get the nutrients it needs.
We see this in their bones:
Rickets, scurvy, and other bone disease are caused by not
getting enough of certain vitamins, minerals, etc.
Linear enamel hypoplasias are caused by episodes of
malnutrition during childhood. Linear enamel hypoplasia- the lines seenhere
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
22/39
y Increased amounts of dental decay
The main crops people were growing (corn, grains, etc) werecausing cavities, which since they werent treated, became
abscesses, which cause large portions of bone to be eaten
away. This can lead to sepsis, infection getting into your
blood stream and killing you.
You can see where cavities have eaten away at the tooth
and then the jaw bones themselves
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
23/39
Warfare increases
y Not all land is good for growing crops, so people
had to defend their land from other people who
wanted it.
y People also needed access to water.
y Control of good land and water = powerpower
Sanitationy Large numbers of people are being pushed
together in small areas without running water
or sewer systems.
y Many diseases and problems are caused by
this!y Imagine living in a large city, in a large
apartment building with lots of people in it,
with no running water or sewers. Stuff piles
up.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
24/39
Infectious Diseases
y When people are in close contact (as they are in
cities) illnesses spread rapidly.y Why do more people get sick in the Winter?
Not because it is cold, but because everyone is inside and
when one person gets the flu, sneezes into their hands and
reaches for a door handle, those flu germs are now on the
door handle. Every person who comes along and touches
that door handle picks up those flu germs, then rubs their
eyes, nose or mouth and gives themselves the flu!
y Also, sexually transmitted disease become more
prevalent.
When people settle down into cities, villages, etc., there will
be travellers passing through who will spread whateverthey picked up in the last village to the new village, where
it is then spread through the population.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
25/39
Disease from animals
y In cold or harsh weather conditions, if your
families survival depends on the survival ofyour two cows, you arent going to leavethem out to die, you bring them indoors.You dont have a barn, so they just come onin to the house. Since most livestock is nothouse-trained, they will mess in your
house. This spreads disease. Also, if theyhave an airborne illness and they sneeze inyour house, you will all get that illness, too!
y From animals we got a lot of our currentdiseases: From cattle: we got measles, tuberculosis, and
smallpox From pigs: we got the flu and whooping cough
From dogs: we got another version of whoopingcough
From ducks: we got another version of the flu
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
26/39
OTHER CHANGES IN THE NEOLITHIC
New toolsy We now need tools for harvesting and working with
crops.
New tools were made of wood or bone handles with blades
inserted.
We now created scythes, pitchforks, hoes, plows and mortar
and pestles.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
27/39
Potteryy You dont find pottery before people started settling
down.
If you have to pick up everything you own every few weeks
to walk somewhere else, heavy pottery is NOT going to be
something you spend any time or effort creating- youd justhave to carry it with you!
Pottery can be used for transporting and storing food, water
and other stuff.
We also made pipes, ladles and lamps out of clay.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
28/39
Housing
y Now we need more permanent houses
y So, we make them out of wood, stone, birck andbranches.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
29/39
Clothing
y We start seeing more clothes made from woven
textiles, not just animal skins.y Unfortunately, these rarely survive in the
archaeological record because they decay rapidly.
y We only have a few surviving examples of these.
shoe
capeClothes found on the Iceman
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
30/39
Social Structure
y During the early parts of
the Neolithic, society was
egalitarian- this means
that everyone was seen as
social equals- no one had
more money, power or
status than anyone else.
y There was also little
division of labor at this
time- both men and
women did whatever
needed to be done- there
was no mens work andwomens work.
y People began gathering to
live in villages.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
31/39
Not everyone switched over toagriculture!
Some people kept on hunting
and gathering.y There are still a few groups today
that do this.
Other people started practicingpastoralismy This is the practice of keeping
animals. Sort of like ranchers.
y The people got most of their foodproducts from the animals: milk,cheeses, yogurt, butters, etc.
y They didnt often kill the animalsfor meat because once you kill ananimal you cant get anything elsefrom it, but you can milk it everyday for most of its life! If they did kill it, they used every
part of the animal, not just thesteaks.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
32/39
Still others took up horticulture
y This blends small scale gardening with
hunting and gathering.
y Some people have set territories and theymove to specific areas at specific times of the
year.
y Others have permanent villages with
permanent gardens, but they still hunt and
gather.y They usually have a garden plot at one place
that they come back to year after year at the
same time.
y They only use hand tools (like digging sticks)
and do not use fertilizer or irrigation.
y Example: Some Amazonian groups still
practice this. They plant a yam garden in one
spot and will come back next year to the
same place to dig up the yams and plant new
ones, then take off again.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
33/39
CIVILIZATION
= a society in which large numbers of people live
incities, experience social stratification, are
governed by a ruling elite and have a
centrally organizedpolitical system.
y Not possible until after the switch to agriculture. You
have to be able to grow and store enough food to feedlarge numbers of people.
y The US is a good example:
Large numbers of people live in cities
We have social stratification= classes- there is an upper
class, a middle class and a lower class.
We are governed by a ruling elite POLITICIANS that we
hope will do what we have asked them to do.
Our political system is centrally organized- we have county
seats, state capitals and the US capital- this is where our
ruling elite make their decisions.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
34/39
The first civilizations arose between 6 and 4.5
kya.
y
The first civilizations were in Mesopotamia (Iraq),Egypt, the Indus Valley, China and Peru.
Note that these were also the earliest areas to have
agriculture!
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
35/39
Since civilizations require cities, whatmakes something a city?
y It must exhibit organized planning
This means they cant just throw up a bunchof houses wherever they want- there arestreets, blocks, etc.
y There must be a central authority Someone in charge, like a mayor, governor,
king, prince, something.
y They show technological innovation This could take the form of irrigation, canals,
viaducts, sewer systems, or just variousinventions that enable people to do their jobsmore efficiently (better spinning wheels,better tools, etc.)
y They also showed signs ofsocialstratification Once again, this means classes- some poor
people, some rich people, the haves and have-nots.
Biblical Jericho
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
36/39
Some things are required before a village cantransition into a city.
There are 4 basic changes:y 1) There must be agricultural innovation
In order for some people to be free to do other things, theremust be some new techniques or inventions that allowfewer people to get more work done.
This could be irrigation, better plows, fertilizers, etc.
This means that not everyone has to be a farmer, somepeople can do other things and there will still be enoughfood for everyone.
y 2) There must be diversification of labor This means that people are doing different things, not
everyone is a farmer.
Some people will make pottery, some will make tools, somewill make clothes, some will grind grains into flour, etc.
This allows the farmer to just farm, not have to worry aboutmaking his own clothes, tools, flour, etc., while other peoplecan just do their jobs and people can barter or trade forwhat they need.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
37/39
3) There must be a central government
y Specific people are in charge and they rule from a specific
place. 4) There must be social stratification
y Not everyone can be in charge, or nothing would get done.
y Some people are in charge, while other people do otherthings.
y The people in charge always amass wealth, either money,land or goods.
y In order for some people to have this wealth, other peoplehave to work very hard to create it.
y People who are not in charge or in positions of power do notget to make rules that are beneficial to them.
y
Remember, no politician or person in power is going tovoluntarily give up their wealth, power, etc. to otherpeople, because then those other people will have thewealth, power, etc. This has been the case since thebeginnings of cities, states and civilizations.
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
38/39
Since this switch to civilizations and states was not
beneficial for most people, why was there a transition
to civilizations? Several ideas have been proposed:
y Ecological Approaches- these focus on the role of the
environment
Hydraulic theory- notes that the best farming is in the fertile
soils of river valleys if flooding is controlled. So, we needed tocontrol water.
y Trade
The idea is that if we only grow olives in our area but you grow
peaches in your area, we should set up some sort of trade so
that you can olives and we can have peaches (an example only).
y Action Theories
These focus on the fact that self-serving leaders want power.
You need lots of people in one place for you to have any real
power. Its not really power if you only control what happens on
your 2 acres of wheat. And you cant get rich that way!
8/3/2019 Lecture 7- Civilization and Domestication
39/39
IN CONCLUSION
To sum it all up:
y The switch to agriculture cause massive, permanent
changes to human society.
y There are many consequences to the switch to
agriculture and the move to settling in cities.
y We arent really sure why people decided to startfarming or create cities and civilizations, just that
they did.
There may have been different reasons in different places.
y Once people began living in these conditions, they
cannot go back to the previous way of life- too manyfundamental changes have been made.