Author: Tracey Lie Dan Lu
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Limited
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This book explores the origins of agriculture in China. It includes archaeological data from the terminal Pleistocene to the early Holocene found in the Yellow and Yangzi River valleys, botanical data on wild millet and wild rice, data on palaeoclimates and palaeoenvironments, and comparative ethnographic data. Lithic evidence indicates cultural continuity through this period, and archaeological discoveries illustrate that wild cereal exploitation was practised prior to the emergence of agriculture. As the dry and cold palaeoclimate forced prehistoric people to search for new sources of food, intensive cereal exploitation might have resulted in a sedentary way of life. Increasing population size triggered attempts to increase the productivity of food. It is also argued that the invention of pottery was prompted by the need to boil cereal grains. As cereals became staple foods, demands for increased production triggered cereal cultivation and domestication.
The Transition from Foraging to Farming and the Origin of Agriculture in China
Author: Tracey Lie Dan Lu
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Limited
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This book explores the origins of agriculture in China. It includes archaeological data from the terminal Pleistocene to the early Holocene found in the Yellow and Yangzi River valleys, botanical data on wild millet and wild rice, data on palaeoclimates and palaeoenvironments, and comparative ethnographic data. Lithic evidence indicates cultural continuity through this period, and archaeological discoveries illustrate that wild cereal exploitation was practised prior to the emergence of agriculture. As the dry and cold palaeoclimate forced prehistoric people to search for new sources of food, intensive cereal exploitation might have resulted in a sedentary way of life. Increasing population size triggered attempts to increase the productivity of food. It is also argued that the invention of pottery was prompted by the need to boil cereal grains. As cereals became staple foods, demands for increased production triggered cereal cultivation and domestication.
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Limited
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This book explores the origins of agriculture in China. It includes archaeological data from the terminal Pleistocene to the early Holocene found in the Yellow and Yangzi River valleys, botanical data on wild millet and wild rice, data on palaeoclimates and palaeoenvironments, and comparative ethnographic data. Lithic evidence indicates cultural continuity through this period, and archaeological discoveries illustrate that wild cereal exploitation was practised prior to the emergence of agriculture. As the dry and cold palaeoclimate forced prehistoric people to search for new sources of food, intensive cereal exploitation might have resulted in a sedentary way of life. Increasing population size triggered attempts to increase the productivity of food. It is also argued that the invention of pottery was prompted by the need to boil cereal grains. As cereals became staple foods, demands for increased production triggered cereal cultivation and domestication.
From Foragers to Farmers
Author: Ehud Weiss
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1782973311
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 534
Book Description
This volume celebrates the career of archaebotanist Professor Gordon C. Hillman. Twenty-eight papers cover a wide range of topics reflecting the great influence that Hillman has had in the field of archaeobotany. Many of his favourite research topics are covered, the body of the text being split into four sections: Personal reflections on Professor Hillman's career; archaeobotanical theory and method; ethnoarchaeological and cultural studies; and ancient plant use from sites and regions around the world. The collection demonstrates, as Gordon Hillman believes, that the study of archaebotany is not only valuable, but vital for any study of humanity.
Publisher: Oxbow Books
ISBN: 1782973311
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 534
Book Description
This volume celebrates the career of archaebotanist Professor Gordon C. Hillman. Twenty-eight papers cover a wide range of topics reflecting the great influence that Hillman has had in the field of archaeobotany. Many of his favourite research topics are covered, the body of the text being split into four sections: Personal reflections on Professor Hillman's career; archaeobotanical theory and method; ethnoarchaeological and cultural studies; and ancient plant use from sites and regions around the world. The collection demonstrates, as Gordon Hillman believes, that the study of archaebotany is not only valuable, but vital for any study of humanity.
Ancient Agriculture
Author: Michael Woods
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books
ISBN: 9780822529958
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 60
Book Description
Discusses agricultural technology in various cultures from the Stone Age to 476 A.D., including China, Egypt, Mesoamerica, and Greece.
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books
ISBN: 9780822529958
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 60
Book Description
Discusses agricultural technology in various cultures from the Stone Age to 476 A.D., including China, Egypt, Mesoamerica, and Greece.
Animals Through Chinese History
Author: Roel Sterckx
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108428150
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
This innovative collection opens a door into the rich history of animals in China. This title is also available as Open Access.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108428150
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
This innovative collection opens a door into the rich history of animals in China. This title is also available as Open Access.
Origins of Agriculture in Western Central Asia
Author: David R. Harris
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 1934536512
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
In Origins of Agriculture in Western Central Asia, archaeologist David R. Harris addresses questions of when, how, and why agriculture and settled village life began east of the Caspian Sea. The book describes and assesses evidence from archaeological investigations in Turkmenistan and adjacent parts of Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan in relation to present and past environmental conditions and genetic and archaeological data on the ancestry of the crops and domestic animals of the Neolithic period. It includes accounts of previous research on the prehistoric archaeology of the region and reports the results of a recent environmental-archaeological project undertaken by British, Russian, and Turkmen archaeologists in Turkmenistan, principally at the early Neolithic site of Jeitun (Djeitun) on the southern edge of the Karakum desert. This project has demonstrated unequivocally that agropastoralists who cultivated barley and wheat, raised goats and sheep, hunted wild animals, made stone tools and pottery, and lived in small mudbrick settlements were present in southern Turkmenistan by 7,000 years ago (c. 6,000 BCE calibrated), where they came into contact with hunter-gatherers of the "Keltiminar Culture." It is possible that barley and goats were domesticated locally, but the available archaeological and genetic evidence leads to the conclusion that all or most of the elements of the Neolithic "Jeitun Culture" spread to the region from farther west by a process of demic or cultural diffusion that broadly parallels the spread of Neolithic agropastoralism from southwest Asia into Europe. By synthesizing for the first time what is currently known about the origins of agriculture in a large part of Central Asia, between the more fully investigated regions of southwest Asia and China, this book makes a unique contribution to the worldwide literature on transitions from hunting and gathering to agriculture.
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 1934536512
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
In Origins of Agriculture in Western Central Asia, archaeologist David R. Harris addresses questions of when, how, and why agriculture and settled village life began east of the Caspian Sea. The book describes and assesses evidence from archaeological investigations in Turkmenistan and adjacent parts of Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan in relation to present and past environmental conditions and genetic and archaeological data on the ancestry of the crops and domestic animals of the Neolithic period. It includes accounts of previous research on the prehistoric archaeology of the region and reports the results of a recent environmental-archaeological project undertaken by British, Russian, and Turkmen archaeologists in Turkmenistan, principally at the early Neolithic site of Jeitun (Djeitun) on the southern edge of the Karakum desert. This project has demonstrated unequivocally that agropastoralists who cultivated barley and wheat, raised goats and sheep, hunted wild animals, made stone tools and pottery, and lived in small mudbrick settlements were present in southern Turkmenistan by 7,000 years ago (c. 6,000 BCE calibrated), where they came into contact with hunter-gatherers of the "Keltiminar Culture." It is possible that barley and goats were domesticated locally, but the available archaeological and genetic evidence leads to the conclusion that all or most of the elements of the Neolithic "Jeitun Culture" spread to the region from farther west by a process of demic or cultural diffusion that broadly parallels the spread of Neolithic agropastoralism from southwest Asia into Europe. By synthesizing for the first time what is currently known about the origins of agriculture in a large part of Central Asia, between the more fully investigated regions of southwest Asia and China, this book makes a unique contribution to the worldwide literature on transitions from hunting and gathering to agriculture.
The Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory
Author: Graeme Barker
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199559953
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 615
Book Description
Addressing one of the most debated revolutions in the history of our species, the change from hunting and gathering to farming, this title takes a global view, and integrates an array of information from archaeology and many other disciplines, including anthropology, botany, climatology, genetics, linguistics, and zoology.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199559953
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 615
Book Description
Addressing one of the most debated revolutions in the history of our species, the change from hunting and gathering to farming, this title takes a global view, and integrates an array of information from archaeology and many other disciplines, including anthropology, botany, climatology, genetics, linguistics, and zoology.
Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels
Author: Ian Morris
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691175896
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394
Book Description
The best-selling author of Why the West Rules—for Now examines the evolution and future of human values Most people in the world today think democracy and gender equality are good, and that violence and wealth inequality are bad. But most people who lived during the 10,000 years before the nineteenth century thought just the opposite. Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, biology, and history, Ian Morris explains why. Fundamental long-term changes in values, Morris argues, are driven by the most basic force of all: energy. Humans have found three main ways to get the energy they need—from foraging, farming, and fossil fuels. Each energy source sets strict limits on what kinds of societies can succeed, and each kind of society rewards specific values. But if our fossil-fuel world favors democratic, open societies, the ongoing revolution in energy capture means that our most cherished values are very likely to turn out not to be useful any more. Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels offers a compelling new argument about the evolution of human values, one that has far-reaching implications for how we understand the past—and for what might happen next. Originating as the Tanner Lectures delivered at Princeton University, the book includes challenging responses by classicist Richard Seaford, historian of China Jonathan Spence, philosopher Christine Korsgaard, and novelist Margaret Atwood.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691175896
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 394
Book Description
The best-selling author of Why the West Rules—for Now examines the evolution and future of human values Most people in the world today think democracy and gender equality are good, and that violence and wealth inequality are bad. But most people who lived during the 10,000 years before the nineteenth century thought just the opposite. Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, biology, and history, Ian Morris explains why. Fundamental long-term changes in values, Morris argues, are driven by the most basic force of all: energy. Humans have found three main ways to get the energy they need—from foraging, farming, and fossil fuels. Each energy source sets strict limits on what kinds of societies can succeed, and each kind of society rewards specific values. But if our fossil-fuel world favors democratic, open societies, the ongoing revolution in energy capture means that our most cherished values are very likely to turn out not to be useful any more. Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels offers a compelling new argument about the evolution of human values, one that has far-reaching implications for how we understand the past—and for what might happen next. Originating as the Tanner Lectures delivered at Princeton University, the book includes challenging responses by classicist Richard Seaford, historian of China Jonathan Spence, philosopher Christine Korsgaard, and novelist Margaret Atwood.
A Companion to Ancient Agriculture
Author: David Hollander
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118970942
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 736
Book Description
The first book-length overview of agricultural development in the ancient world A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is an authoritative overview of the history and development of agriculture in the ancient world. Focusing primarily on the Near East and Mediterranean regions, this unique text explores the cultivation of the soil and rearing of animals through centuries of human civilization—from the Neolithic beginnings of agriculture to Late Antiquity. Chapters written by the leading scholars in their fields present a multidisciplinary examination of the agricultural methods and influences that have enabled humans to survive and prosper. Consisting of thirty-one chapters, the Companion presents essays on a range of topics that include economic-political, anthropological, zooarchaeological, ethnobotanical, and archaeobotanical investigation of ancient agriculture. Chronologically-organized chapters offer in-depth discussions of agriculture in Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hellenistic Greece and Imperial Rome, Iran and Central Asia, and other regions. Sections on comparative agricultural history discuss agriculture in the Indian subcontinent and prehistoric China while an insightful concluding section helps readers understand ancient agriculture from a modern perspective. Fills the need for a full-length biophysical and social overview of ancient agriculture Provides clear accounts of the current state of research written by experts in their respective areas Places ancient Mediterranean agriculture in conversation with contemporary practice in Eastern and Southern Asia Includes coverage of analysis of stable isotopes in ancient agricultural cultivation Offers plentiful illustrations, references, case studies, and further reading suggestions A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is a much-needed resource for advanced students, instructors, scholars, and researchers in fields such as agricultural history, ancient economics, and in broader disciplines including classics, archaeology, and ancient history.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118970942
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 736
Book Description
The first book-length overview of agricultural development in the ancient world A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is an authoritative overview of the history and development of agriculture in the ancient world. Focusing primarily on the Near East and Mediterranean regions, this unique text explores the cultivation of the soil and rearing of animals through centuries of human civilization—from the Neolithic beginnings of agriculture to Late Antiquity. Chapters written by the leading scholars in their fields present a multidisciplinary examination of the agricultural methods and influences that have enabled humans to survive and prosper. Consisting of thirty-one chapters, the Companion presents essays on a range of topics that include economic-political, anthropological, zooarchaeological, ethnobotanical, and archaeobotanical investigation of ancient agriculture. Chronologically-organized chapters offer in-depth discussions of agriculture in Bronze Age Egypt and Mesopotamia, Hellenistic Greece and Imperial Rome, Iran and Central Asia, and other regions. Sections on comparative agricultural history discuss agriculture in the Indian subcontinent and prehistoric China while an insightful concluding section helps readers understand ancient agriculture from a modern perspective. Fills the need for a full-length biophysical and social overview of ancient agriculture Provides clear accounts of the current state of research written by experts in their respective areas Places ancient Mediterranean agriculture in conversation with contemporary practice in Eastern and Southern Asia Includes coverage of analysis of stable isotopes in ancient agricultural cultivation Offers plentiful illustrations, references, case studies, and further reading suggestions A Companion to Ancient Agriculture is a much-needed resource for advanced students, instructors, scholars, and researchers in fields such as agricultural history, ancient economics, and in broader disciplines including classics, archaeology, and ancient history.
First Farmers
Author: Peter Bellwood
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0631205659
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 331
Book Description
First Farmers: the Origins of Agricultural Societies offers readers an understanding of the origins and histories of early agricultural populations in all parts of the world. Uses data from archaeology, comparative linguistics, and biological anthropology to cover developments over the past 12,000 years Examines the reasons for the multiple primary origins of agriculture Focuses on agricultural origins in and dispersals out of the Middle East, central Africa, China, New Guinea, Mesoamerica and the northern Andes Covers the origins and dispersals of major language families such as Indo-European, Austronesian, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo and Uto-Aztecan
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0631205659
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 331
Book Description
First Farmers: the Origins of Agricultural Societies offers readers an understanding of the origins and histories of early agricultural populations in all parts of the world. Uses data from archaeology, comparative linguistics, and biological anthropology to cover developments over the past 12,000 years Examines the reasons for the multiple primary origins of agriculture Focuses on agricultural origins in and dispersals out of the Middle East, central Africa, China, New Guinea, Mesoamerica and the northern Andes Covers the origins and dispersals of major language families such as Indo-European, Austronesian, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo and Uto-Aztecan
Behavioral Ecology and the Transition to Agriculture
Author: Douglas J. Kennett
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520246470
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 408
Book Description
"For the newcomer to the literature and logic of human behavioral ecology, this book is a flat-out bonanza—entirely accessible, self-critical, largely free of polemic, and, above all, stimulating beyond measure. It's an extraordinary contribution. Our understanding of the foraging-farming dynamic may just have changed forever."—David Hurst Thomas, American Museum of Natural History
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520246470
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 408
Book Description
"For the newcomer to the literature and logic of human behavioral ecology, this book is a flat-out bonanza—entirely accessible, self-critical, largely free of polemic, and, above all, stimulating beyond measure. It's an extraordinary contribution. Our understanding of the foraging-farming dynamic may just have changed forever."—David Hurst Thomas, American Museum of Natural History