ANTH 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Antithesis, Paleoethnobotany, Natufian Culture
Document Summary
Natufians: generic cultural tradition which is defined by the material and subsistent. Characterized by stone age farmers, began creating regional identities. Emphasis on food production is the deliberate cultivation of cereal grasses and edible root plants. Food production first emerged in sw asia especially in the fertile crescent region of iraq about. Many archaeologists study why the transition from h/g and agriculture happened, larger population social networks social classes division of labor. Severe droughts brought plants, animals, and humans together into small oases. Solution: intensify food production (i. e. plant cultivation and animal domestication) H/gs are receptive to new food production techniques. Early h/gs in iraq (natufian) experimented with cultivation and domestication in fertile hilly flanks region of zargos mountains. Population pressure prevents mobility and forces h/gs to become sedentary. Increased trade and political alliances spurred production of surplus goods, including agricultural goods. Natufian culture 10,000 to 8,500 bc in mesopotamia.
