Agricultural+Revolution

 From 9000 BC to 5000 BC agriculture developed in the regions of the Northern Middle East/Black Sea area where former nomadic hunter-gatherers independently grew wheat and barley in 9000 BC,and in the regions of Southeast Asia and Southern China where they cultivated rice in 7000 BC. Corn was originally domesticated in Central America in 5000 BCE, and possibly the peoples of the sub-Saharan African and Northern China areas cultivated independent crops as well. Nomadic people needed 2.5 square miles per person for food. Game was becoming scarce, so men and women had to find another source of comestibles. During the Neolithic Revolution, agriculture became the economic means of sustaining people. The agricultural revolution refers to the transition from a nomadic lifestyle to a more sedentary based culture. This evolved slowly, however, because communication was minimal. Not all areas were suitable for domesticating crops, and settling down did not appeal to many hunter-gatherers. The disadvantages of agriculture were the creation of inequality between men and women as well as the beginning of social stratification. In addition to epidemics, new agrarian civilizations also altered and damaged the environment. On the other hand, the agricultural revolution augmented the food supply which led to higher birth rates and a coming together of peoples.  Agriculture became a dependable source of food for over 7300 years. The abundance of a food supply relieved some of the stress of food gathering, allowing people the leisure of reflecting on gods and appreciating the environment. The combination of a reliable food supply with an ever growing population led to the growth of cities and technology. The agricultural revolution provided the means for transitioning from hunter-gathering civilizations to a more sedentary one.

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http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0022-agricultural-revolution.php http://history-world.org/neolithic.htm

Created by: Christina Oelsner on Aug. 26, 2008 Edited by Rachel Mitchell on 8/30/08 Edited by Ian Worthington, 9/3/08 Edited by Benjamin Ellison 9/4/08