ANTH 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Azraq, Jordan, Neolithic Revolution, Plants And Animals
3 May 2018
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Lecture'18'–'The'Neolithic'
ORIGINS'OF'AGRICULTURE:'THEORIES'
1. Oasis'Theory'of'V.G.'Childe'
• Coined'the'term'“Neolithic'Revolution”,'argued'that'the'transition'to'agriculture'
was'rapid'
• Synthesis'of'L.H.'Morgan’s'unilinear'view'of'cultural'evolution:'the'transition'
from'savagery'to'barbarism'was'agriculture''
• Childe’s'view'='the'ability'to'actively'control'food'production'led'to:'
o Increased'food'supply'à'increased'population'à'development'of'settled'
villages'
• Environmental'determinist'='change'in'climate'causes'economic'change'
• At'the'end'of'the'Pleistocene,'some'(central)'areas'became'desert'or'semi-
desert'as'rainfall'belts'moved'north.'
o This'concentrated'people,'plants'&'animals'in'localized'favourable'areas'
(“oases”)'
o E.g.'Azraq,'Jordan'was'an'oasis'
• Loss'of'big'game'caused'people'to'collect'grass'seeds'&'hunt'smaller'animals's.a.'
sheep'&'goats.'
• Domestication'of'wheat,'rye'&'barley'developed'to'control'natural'fluctuations'
in'these'resources.'
• Problems:*
o Implications'that'humans'had'“removed”'themselves'from'nature'by'
inventing'agriculture''
§ He'disassociated'humans'from'nature,'even'though'they'moved'
towards'nature.'
o Doesn’t'match'the'agricultural'record.'Some'early'agricultural'sites'do'
exist'outside'“oasis”'areas'
2. Population'Pressure'Theory'–'“Binford'Version”'
• Maximizing'food/subsistence'&'they'would'hit'the'threshold'
• People'had'to'find'a'way'to'make'unproductive'areas'more'productive'through'
farming.'
• Successful'Mesolithic'adaptations'increased'population'to'carrying'capacity'IN'
favourable'areas'
• Carrying'capacity'='the'size'and'density'of'ancient'population'that'a'given'site'or'
region'could'have'supported'under'a'specific'subsistence'technology.'
2'
o This'pushed'some'groups'into'less'favourable'marginal'environments,'
where'they'developed'food'production'to'“bring'their'environment'with'
them”.'
o This'predicts'ALL'earliest'food'producing'sites'will'be'in'marginal'areas.'
• Problem:'
o Some'early'sites'are'in'marginal'areas;'others'are'in'favourable'areas.'
3. Population'Pressure'Theory'–'“Boserup'Version”'
• Population'pressure'could'stimulate'agriculture'anywhere,'simply'to'raise'the'
carrying'capacity'of'the'environment.'People'were'forced'to'be'creative.'
• Pressure'could'be'intensified'by'any'climate'change'that'decreased'the'carrying'
capacity.'
o E.g.'the'Younger'Dryas'cold'period'(a'little'Ice'Age),'13,000-11,500'BP,'
could'be'the'trigger'
• Problems:'(the'Cohen'&'Boserup'Version)'
o Skeletons'of'Early'Neolithic'people'do'not'show'levels'of'nutritional'
stress'predicted'by'this'theory.'
o In'the'Near'East,'Natufians'(Mesolithic)'had'greater'nutritional'stress'
markers'than'the'Neolithic'farmers,'but'there'are'indications'that'
farmers'worked'harder'(notably'females,'probably'because'males'were'
going'out'to'hunt'during'the'Levant'à'sexual'division'of'labour)'
4. Broad'Spectrun'Adaptation'of'Kent'Flannery'
• From'c.'15,000-11,000'BP,'big-game'hunting'was'gradually'replaced'by'the'
seasonal'exploitation'of'a'wide'range'of'resources'(i.e.'“intensification”).'
o Intensification'allows'us'to'circumvent'the'limitation'of'resources.'
• A'wider'range'of'plant'&'animal'life'hunted,'gathered,'caught,'collected,'fished.'
o People'are'utilizing'any'possible'food'source'that'they'can.'
• Peoples’'knowledge'of'plant'&'animal'biology'allowed'them'to'move'desired'
resources'to'concentrate'them'near'permanent'settlements.'
o Domestication'of'food'removes'the'need'of'moving'past'the'settlement'
boundaries.'They'could'guarantee'food'a'little'better'this'way.''
• This'“least'cost'-'least'effort”'economic'model'reduced'or'eliminated'the'need'to'
move'during'the'year.''
5. Social'Causes'Theory'of'Barbara'Bender'
• More'complex'Upper'Paleolithic'societies'developed'social'elites.'
• Agriculture'was'developed'to'create'the'surpluses'needed'to'support'these'
elites.'
• This'was'encouraged'by'the'need'to'trade'luxury'goods'for'food.'
• Problems:'
o This'ignores'the'influence'of'environmental'change.'
o The'theory'is'self-contained'within'social'range.'
'
Document Summary
Origins of agriculture: theories: oasis theory of v. g. Childe: coined the term neolithic revolution , argued that the transition to agriculture was rapid, synthesis of l. h. Morgan"s unilinear view of cultural evolution: the transition from savagery to barbarism was agriculture: childe"s view = the ability to actively control food production led to: Azraq, jordan was an oasis: loss of big game caused people to collect grass seeds & hunt smaller animals s. a. sheep & goats, domestication of wheat, rye & barley developed to control natural fluctuations in these resources, problems: Implications that humans had removed themselves from nature by inventing agriculture. He disassociated humans from nature, even though they moved towards nature: doesn"t match the agricultural record. 2: reverse causality = evidence for trade & social complexity requiring large amounts of luxury goods appear after agriculture begins, not before it, at least in the middle east.
