Data

Copy and paste the text below. It is read-only. Select All

"Neolithic Revolution" The first agricultural revolution--transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. (12,000 years ago)--tropical and subtropical areas of southern Asia, northern/central Africa and Central America. Management Strategies such as burning, transplanting, and weeding employed to encourage the productivity of certain plant or animal species. Cultivation Intensive tending of a plant species to enhance or ensure production (i.e. clearing fields, preparing soil, weeding, watering, etc.) Domestication Changes in the physical characteristics of a plant or animal species caused by human manipulation. Species generally become dependent on humans. Agriculture Obtaining food from intense use of previously domesticated plants and animals. New relationship with environment--smaller amounts of land; long term changes in structure/organization of societies. Wild vs Domesticated Plants Domesticated are attached better to the stock and have higher protein content, more/larger seeds, more brittle glume (seed coat), stronger rachis (what holds seeds to the stem). Wild vs Domesticated Animals Domesticated animals tend to be smaller, dumber, less aggressive and fatter, easier to control. Wild animals are larger, more lean, larger horns, and aggressive. Advantages/Disadvantages of Agriculture Compared to foraging populations early agriculturists have higher levels of infection, chronic malnutrition, more anemia, shorter lives, increased warfare and violence and leisure time. But, they have increased fertility and population growth. Theories of Agricultural Origins Environmental change--disruption in food supply. Gradual intensification--more intensive use of particularly attractive resources. Population pressure--population cannot be supported by key local resources, populations too high to move. Social theories--achieve social prestige through the accumulation of surplus food. Evidence of Domestication Mortar and pestle, prehistoric maize cobs from Coxcatlan Cave, Teotihuacan Valley. Earliest evidence of Maize: San Andes Cave, ca. 5,000 BC (grain pollen). Social Inequality Trade networks, varying burial treatment of dead architectural hierarchy, distribution of resources etc. Achieved and Ascribed Status Achieved status you earn, ascribed status is something usually given (hereditary rule) Sources of Inequality Economic dependence, control of long distance trade luxuries, differential access to subsistence resources, privileged access to divinities/supernatural, differential mortuary treatment, protection from conflict. Materialization of Inequality Settlement plan, distribution of exotic goods, access to subsistence resources (sot rage, diet, nutrition), and differential mortuary treatments. State A political unit Civilization Cultural construct, societies sharing basic cultural values, beliefs, practices, across broad geographies. Challenge of Urban Centers Irrigation, sustenance, policing State Level Societies Irrigation, roads, trade goods, social classes, bureaucracy Origins of State Level Societies Urban revolution-leaders and classes of specialists Ecology and irrigation-irrigation of rich floodplains Technology and trade-markets Warfare-conquest, larger political units Multi-causal theories-multiple processes working together Social theories (power)-economic power, religious power, prestige, political power, authority etc Collapse of State Level Societies Characterized by the dispersal of a population from a previously densely populated area. Caused by drought/climate change (environmental), soil degradation (agriculture), war/conquest/invasion/civil disputes (foreign entity), (economic). NAGPRA Native American Grave Protection & Repatriation Act (1990): protective graves from being harvested as research. Previously dug graves were supposed to be replaced to their tribes.