ANTH100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Grave Goods, Hominini, Social Inequality

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH100
• Professor: Nicole Hayes

Document Summary

Mexico: all of a sudden, seems to be related to foraging theory, maize and squash were first to be domesticated then beans. South america: potatoes, beans, quinoa, dogs, llamas, alpacas, guinea pigs (for food) North america: goosefoot (weed that is related to quinoa), marshelder, maize, squash. Asia: rice, yams, tea, sugarcane, garlic, apple, carrots. No one single driver for every location. Resulted from niche construction and foraging increasing favourite resources productivity. Property: land belonged to people now. Environment: now permanent buildings, landscapes are transformed irrigation, draining, streams silted up, loss of native species. Diet: hunter gatherers have diets with low fats which reduces fertility (inconvenient to move around carrying kids) Increase in carbohydrates increases fertility: after settling height in men and women decreased by 5 inches roughly, 3 plants feed most of worlds pop"n (rice, corn, and wheat) Disease: malaria, stored grains fed rats which carry plague. Labour: harder work than hunting and gathering.