ANTH 1003 Chapter : ANTH CH 5
ANTH CH 5
Subsistence strategies:
• Population density-how many people are in the environment
• Productivity-how productive we are in getting resources
• Efficiency-how much work it takes to get subsistence from the environment
Foraging-hunting and gathering
• All humans were foragers up to 10,000 years ago
• Nomadic: small group (20-50) low population density; simple technology; encyclopedic
knowledge of the environment; restricted by scarcest commodity; “the original affluent society”
Marshall Sahlins
• WOMEN GATHER EVERY OTHER DAY; MEN HUNT TWICE A WEEK
Pastoralism-people are majorly dependent on livestock; have mutualistic benefit with horticulturist
because you can’t just live on meat
• The invention of domestication-animals
• Nomadic pastoralism-group move from place to place; no permanent village; must carry
everything
• Transhumant pastoralism-mountainous areas; move up and down the mountain depending on
the temp and altitude
*****Restricted by water resources because animals need water
Horticulture
• The invention of domestication plants
• Swidden (slash and burn) cut vegetation, burn, plant in ashes; land becomes depleted quickly;
new land must be cultivated
Agriculture
• Support large sedentary population
1. Greater productivity
• Irrigation
• Intense use of human resources: occupational diversity/social stratification
• Peasant agriculture: subsistence cultivators integrated into complex societies
• Permanent use of the same land
• Plow
• Draft animals
• Water control: irrigation, terracing
• Fertilization
Document Summary
Subsistence strategies: population density-how many people are in the environment, productivity-how productive we are in getting resources, efficiency-how much work it takes to get subsistence from the environment. Foraging-hunting and gathering: all humans were foragers up to 10,000 years ago, nomadic: small group (20-50) low population density; simple technology; encyclopedic knowledge of the environment; restricted by scarcest commodity; the original affluent society . Marshall sahlins: women gather every other day; men hunt twice a week. *****restricted by water resources because animals need water. Horticulture: the invention of domestication plants, swidden (slash and burn) cut vegetation, burn, plant in ashes; land becomes depleted quickly; new land must be cultivated. Intense use of human resources: occupational diversity/social stratification: support large sedentary population, greater productivity, peasant agriculture: subsistence cultivators integrated into complex societies, permanent use of the same land, plow, draft animals, water control: irrigation, terracing, fertilization. Post-partum sex taboo: couples don"t have intercourse until the baby is 3 years old.
