ANT 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Marvin Harris, Sedentism, Surplus Product
Document Summary
Theories as the origins of agriculture climate change- easier to grow food. It was fluctuation a lot less- more predictable. Meaning single food resources were suddenly are more reliable. Population growth- harder to feed everyone with purely hunting and gathering. Mark cohen- saturation point where too many people that could be fed only with natural resources. Marvin harris increased human populations and decline of big game animals. K species live long time, low to reproduce so susceptible to over exploitations (deer) R species - reproduce easerier in larger numbers and can easily re establish themselves. Switching to r species would have encouraged sedentism stabilized food supply. Fundamental change in the way humans interact with their environment. From dependency on natural resources to control over domesticated resources. Major changes in diet => changes in health perhaps. This subsistence system (something social/cultural) has caused observable morphological changes in humans (something biological). Dependence on one main crop and potential for crop failure.
